Another's Eyes
by raspberrytart
Summary: The soul of a dead girl accidentally ends up in Raven's body. Will the Titans be able to get their friend back, or are they stuck with the new Raven? RobinRaven
1. Beginning

My name is Morgan, and I am dead.

Yes, dead.

I know you want to know how it happened, so let's just get that out of the way.

It wasn't spectacular as far as deaths go. I didn't die in a horrific car crash or in a burning building or anything dramatic like that. I didn't slip on a banana peel and break my neck or suffer some catastrophic allergic reaction to sesame seeds. I just died in my sleep. I know it's rare for a 17-year old year to die in her sleep, but I it was probably my time. I'd run away from home three years ago and had been living on the streets ever since, sleeping in cardboard boxes, scrounging for food, et cetera.

Dying was a lame experience. I didn't see any white light or angels or any of that stuff that I was always told I'd see. I just found myself standing up besides my lifeless body. There was the initial shock of it all. Then there was the few hours when I tried to figure out how to lie down inside of my body and wake up. And then there was the part when I accepted the fact and wondered why I was still sitting around in a smelly alley when I was dead. I left to go find the answer.

For a while I wondered if I was supposed to make peace with my past. I eventually made my way back to the trailer park where I had grown up to check in on my family. There was nothing there. My mother was dead. My stepfather had apparently moved in with a new girlfriend. My little sister had been adopted by a nice couple with two other children. There was nothing to straighten out—nothing to reconcile. I gave up on that idea.

I quickly realized that I couldn't interact with the world any more. I couldn't pick anything up or move things around. I had no reflection in mirrors or glass. When I looked down, I could see myself wearing the same grubby jeans, green sweater, and sneakers that I had been wearing when I died. It was all very confusing, actually. There seemed to be no point to my existence/non-existence. Apparently there was no heaven and no hell, because I didn't go to either one of those places. But then again, where are all the other dead people? Shouldn't the planet be swarming with spirits of the dead? Two years I've been dead, and I haven't seen another ghost the entire time. I still haven't figured that one out.

I could go anywhere with only a thought. Want to go to China? Just think about it and you're there. Really, I could have traveled the world, but I realized quickly that there was no point. I saw the Eiffel Tower. I stood on the top of Mount Everest. I saw Tom Cruise in the shower. _So what?_ There's just no excitement to anything any more. You can't eat. You can't shop. You can't read because you can't turn the pages. Your heart and stomach don't go wild when you ride a roller coaster. You can't talk to _anyone_.

Well, that last point isn't entirely true. I've discovered that there are a few creatures that can see me or sense me nearby and no, it's not that crazy lady on channel 62. It's babies and animals. Two years ago I slept next to stray dogs; now I speak with them. I'm certainly moving up in the world. And babies—they're okay. They'll smile and coo and laugh at me. But not _all _babies can see me, and even the ones that do grow out of it relatively quickly. I haven't figured that one out yet.

Anyway, I was starved for some attention, which is why I was standing in the parking lot of a convenience store in downtown Jump City, sharing my "Tom Cruise Shower Experience" story with an eight-month old baby moments before my life—er, my _death _was turned upside-down.

The mother had run into the convenience store for a pack of cigarettes and, apparently, to flirt with the clerk, leaving the baby strapped into her car seat in the back of her SUV. Really, I don't get parents like that. Do they not watch the news at night? Anyway, said baby was thrilled to have me stop by and regale her with my stories while she chewed on her foot. I had her undivided attention, which was nice because I don't get that any more. And then all hell broke loose.

There was an earth-shattering boom that echoed everywhere, moments before what appeared to be a rock monster came barreling down the street.

Yeah, okay, so Jump City has monsters and villains. At least Jump City wasn't as bad off as Metropolis or Gotham or even Keystone City. And at least Jump City had superheroes.

Moments later, coming at full speed, the Teen Titans appeared.

Really, I don't know what can be said about the Teen Titans. Not a whole lot is known about them—they have to protect their super-identities and all that. But there were some things that were printed in _Bop_ magazine that I had read. So I at least knew the names of all of them and could recognize them all.

The battle had obviously been raging for a few blocks already. A green tyrannosaurus that I assumed was Beast Boy led the pack, charging Mr. Rock Monster and snapping with his giant teeth. The t-rex clamped down on the rock monster's arm, which kept it occupied long enough for Starfire to rain down a volley of green fireballs. Raven murmured some words, and some eerie black magic sprang from her hands, picking up a Ford Focus parked on the side of the road and flinging it into the bad guy. The rock monster stumbled against the barrage, flattening a building across the way before he fell. Robin and Cyborg joined in the attack, both unleashing exploded arsenal at the fallen monster.

I was already impressed. I'd never been this close to a battle before. And what was the harm, really? It's not like I was going to die.

And then the baby cooed.

Oh shit. The baby. I turned toward her, watching as she attempted to devour her fist. She was blissfully ignorant to the danger around. Where was the mother? With merely a thought, I appeared inside the convenience store. The mother was crouched down behind the counter, cowering with the clerk and a couple other patrons of the store. They all looked like frightened little rats.

"Hello?" I shouted. I knew they couldn't hear me, but I had to do _something_. "Yo! Mama! Your freakin' baby is out in that car! You can't leave her out there with _that_ going on!"

I pointed toward the street, just as Cyborg came crashing through the glass wall like a cannonball. The people in the store screamed, covering their heads from the rain of glass. I glanced at Cyborg, who was shaking his head to recover from the blow. Then I glared back down at the mother, who obviously still didn't feel like she needed to rush out and get her child. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to procreate.

The fight had moved way too close now. The t-rex was now a rhinoceros, and it charged the rock monster and pushed it along the street, causing asphalt to fly as the monster dug in its heels. Cyborg ran out of the store and back into the street, shouting something at his teammates. Raven turned, staring in my direction with her violet eyes as she lifted her hands above her head. Her mouth opened and she began to chant another spell.

And then it occurred to me. She wasn't looking at the store or me. She was looking at the SUV parked in front—seemingly a large vehicle that she could slam into the rock monster like she had done moments before with the car. But she didn't know there was a baby inside.

The black magic leapt from her hands again, streaming toward the vehicle. But I was faster. With another thought, I appeared in front of the SUV, standing between it and the spell. I even had enough time to wonder what the fuck I thought I was going to do.

Light blinded me.

"Look out!" someone shouted.

And then everything went black.


	2. Unfamiliarity

I felt like stuffed sausage. Like the thighs of that girl who shoves her legs into pants that hug every fold of her skin and look like they're about to rip at the seams. Yes, stuffed sausage.

Wait a minute.

Why did I _feel_ like anything?

And why was everything so dark?

I opened my eyes. I was lying on my back, staring up at gray ceiling tile. Nothing was making sense. Why was I lying down in the first place? Why was standing outside the convenience store the last thing that I remembered? And why was I cold? Ghosts don't need to lie down or sleep, and they don't get cold.

"She's awake!" exclaimed an excited voice.

Suddenly I was aware of four people crowded around me. Looking down at me. _Looking_ at me.

Oh my god. Could they actually see me?

"Are you all right?" asked the same voice, which belonged to the short green guy in front. I suddenly realized that it was Beast Boy. The Teen Titans. I was in a room with the Teen Titans. And they could see me.

"Stand back a bit, guys," Cyborg said. "Give her some room."

My mind was reeling. What had happened? Why was I still cold? Why did I feel like a walking bruise?

Robin gently set his hand on my forehead, looking down at with me with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, Raven?"

_Raven?_

I sat straight up so quickly that my vision blurred for a moment; the others stepped back in surprise. I was sitting up on a metal table. I lifted my hands, staring at the palms as I curled them into fists. Except they weren't _my_ hands, really. They felt like my hands, and I could control them, but the gray skin was obviously not mine. Another chill ran through me, and now I realized why. I was wearing some sort of leotard, and my bare legs kept coming in contact with the cold table.

And then I saw the mirror across the room. Gray skin. Short, purple hair. Some sort of jewel in the middle of my forehead. Black leotard.

Raven.

I tilted my head, watching as the girl in the mirror did the same. I lifted my hand and touched my hair. The reflection did the same. And I could feel the hair in my fingertips.

Oh shit.

"Hey," Cyborg spoke up, "calm down. You're gonna hyperventilate."

It was only then that I noticed how much I was gasping for air. The sensation of life-giving oxygen pouring into my lungs should have felt fabulous, but I was too shocked by everything.

"Lie back down," Robin said, pushing back on my shoulder until I did as he asked. "Starfire, get a blanket, will you?"

I closed my eyes, trying to calm down and piece things together. Okay, I was still Morgan. I could remember everything about me. My birthday. My favorite color. My eighth-grade locker combination. But I didn't look like Morgan—I looked like Raven. What did I know about Raven?

Nothing.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my surroundings to go away, but they didn't. I could feel the others place a blanket over me. The warmth felt so good. But now I was becoming more aware of the other sensations. The bruise-like pain that stretched along the right side of my body. The dizziness from breathing too quickly. That stuffed sausage feeling. I dare say I'd forgotten just what pain feels like—like when you look back on something and don't remember it being quite as bad as what you thought at the time it happened. But now it was all rushing back.

I rolled over onto my left side, hugging the blanket to me.

"Is friend Raven going to be all right?" I heard Starfire ask quietly. I kept my eyes closed.

"Her vitals look okay," Robin returned. "She's healing just fine."

"But that was…weird," Beast Boy said. "Even for her."

"She was hurt pretty badly in the fight," Cyborg added. "Maybe she just needs a bit of time. After all, she's been unconscious for a few days."

A few days? I'd been lying in the watchtower for a few days? Then where was Raven? Had we switched places? Was she the ghost now, wandering around wondering why no one could see her? And was she now furious because she could see that someone was in her body?

I opened my eyes, scanning the room as I whispered, "Raven, if you can hear me, I _swear_ that I don't know what's going on here." I didn't see anything, but I don't know what I was expecting. After all, I knew damn well that no one could see the dead.

The others stopped talking. There was an awkward pause. Had they heard me? Oh no—did some of these guys have ultra-sonic superior hearing or something? Geez, I didn't know.

"Let's continue outside," I heard Robin say. There was a shuffling of feet as they walked out the door and down the hallway, where their voices were now just soft mumbles.

I sighed. How had I gotten myself into this? And how was I going to tell four superheroes that I had taken over the body of their friend? "Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't know how this happened and I swear I'm not a bad guy"? Somehow I didn't think that was going to cut it.

I was in deep trouble.

* * *

I woke up in a different room. This one was dark—dark wallpaper, dark flooring, dark everything. I sat up, gazing around the room. There was a large window to my left, but the blinds had been drawn tight. The door was straight ahead, alongside which hung a giant pentagon-shaped mirror. There was another door to my right, along with lots of shelves filled with books. I was still dressed in my leotard. My shoes and cape rested on a chair beside the bed. I wondered how long I had been sleeping.

My hands absently ran along the velvet comforter. This was Raven's room. And I was still Raven. I had hoped that all of this would have just been some nightmare. Even though ghosts don't have nightmares.

Seconds later I realized that I _really _needed to pee. And I could certainly use a shower. Well, there had to be a bathroom somewhere around here. I slipped out of the covers, padding over to the door on the right wall. I slowly cracked it open, peering inside. When I saw a sink and toilet, I breathed a sigh of relief. I found the light switch and moved into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

As I relieved my bladder, I found that I had to make a conscious effort not to look in the mirror on the adjacent wall. It had been extremely disconcerting the first time around to see that reflection of a girl that wasn't me.

I finished my business, and then turned toward the shower. I turned on the faucets, placing my hand in the running water until it was at a nice, hot temperature. I hesitated for a moment, feeling slightly guilty that I was going to strip down a body that didn't belong to me. But my body or not, it still needed a shower. Taking a deep breath, I shed my clothes and quickly hopped under the water.

It felt glorious. I leaned back, letting it run into my hair and down my back. As a runaway, I had certainly come to appreciate a hot shower, but it felt even better than I remembered. I stood like that for a few minutes, then decided that it was time to clean up.

There was a dark blue loofah sponge and some shower gel that had the faint fragrance of juniper. I poured the gel into the sponge and began to run it all over my body. Raven's skin was extremely smooth, and I wondered if it was just naturally that way or if she used something on it.

Raven was definitely shorter than I had been in life, which might have been the reason I kept feeling like I was squeezed into something too small for me. Her breasts were smaller than mine had been, too I swear, I only glanced for a second. She had sharp knees and a particularly flat butt. But she also had nicely toned abs and thighs—way better than I ever could have achieved with my old body.

I cleaned every inch, then shampooed my hair and rinsed it out. My fingertips were pruny by the time I shut off the water. I grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around my body, tucking it in around my breasts so that it wouldn't fall down. Then I stepped out of the shower and quickly ran a comb through my hair, which wasn't hard because my hair wasn't very long. Finally, I wiped the steam off the mirror so that I could get a good look at myself.

There I was. Raven's purple hair. Raven's gray skin. Raven's large, violet eyes. Raven's small lips. Raven's odd, red jewel in the middle of her forehead. I wondered why she looked the way she did. Was she an alien like Superman? The victim of some sort of accident or gypsy curse? Not that I was any expert on superheroes by any means. I had never really thought about it before. Still, no matter what the cause of her inhuman looks, she was still extremely attractive.

"I'm sorry, Raven," I apologized again to the girl in the mirror. "I don't know why things are like this. I'll try to find a way back."

I walked out of the bathroom and over to the window, drawing back the curtains. Warm sunlight poured in through the glass as I gazed at the magnificent view of the water. Wow. I would never have my shades drawn if I could look at this all day.

I suddenly was aware of the smell of pancakes, and my stomach growled loudly. Food. God, I was dying to eat food. But would the other Titans be down there? Probably. But I was going to have to face them sooner or later.

I opened the closet, peering inside. There had to be a dozen hangars in there, all holding the exact same black leotard. I groaned as I looked again, hoping that a pair of jeans or even a skirt would magically appear. Nothing.

What was this Raven thinking? What kind of self-respecting heroine wore an outfit that required her to wax her bikini line on a regular basis? It just wasn't right.

But apparently, it was my only choice for now. I threw off my towel and quickly pulled on the leotard. Then I picked up the cloak, folding it in half and tying it sarong-style around my waist. Yes, it looked slightly odd, but it was better than having to wonder if the leotard was creeping up my butt. Finally, there were the shoes. They were weird—a mix between boots and Peter Pan shoes. I definitely had to get myself to the mall this morning. I slipped them on, and then gave myself a look-over in the mirror. Definitely not the best outfit in the world, but I had certainly worn worse since leaving home. It would do.

My stomach growled again, reminding me that it was time to eat. Yes, time to face the music.

I opened the door, peeking my head out into the hallway. No one was there, which was a good sign. Of course, I also had no idea which way the kitchen was. I guess I could only try to follow my nose.


	3. One Day

The watchtower turned out to be more maze-like that one could have guessed from the outside. Every hallway looked the same, and there were many doors. I wondered what was behind all those doors. After all, only five people lived in this gigantic place—how many rooms did five people need?

It took me about 10 minutes to find my way to where the food was. The place appeared to be some sort of common room, with a giant monitor and semi-circular couch in the center of it all. Toward the right was a sink, stove, and under-counter refrigerator. There was also an island-countertop with a plate holding a large stack of golden pancakes, smothered in butter.

The Teen Titans were also there. Beast Boy and Cyborg sat on the couch, playing a game on the giant screen. Starfire was gathering up dirty plates and glasses to wash. Robin was sitting at the island, a half-eaten pancake on the plate in front of him.

I took a deep breath and quietly began to walk down the steps. I swear I didn't make a noise, but everyone turned to look at me right away.

I froze, feeling extremely uncomfortable under the gaze of all those eyes. I didn't know what they were expecting of me—of Raven. I cleared my throat, smiling softly. "Uh, good morning," I said.

Starfire rushed to my side. "Good morning!" she beamed. "We are very happy to see that you are feeling well today." She grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the counter. "Robin has made mass quantities of pancakes." She pushed on my shoulders, forcing me to sit on a barstool. In the blink of an eye, she set a plate in front of me with a stack of four pancakes.

It was a lot of food, but I was starving.

"Thank you," I said.

Robin, who sat across from me, smiled softly. "It's good to see you," he said.

"Believe me," I said, "it's good to be seen." I picked up my fork and cut off a piece of pancake, placing it in my mouth. The flavor was indescribable. I had missed food soooo much. I wonder if pancakes had ever tasted this good to anyone in the entire world. It was all I could do to keep from moaning.

The other guys shut off their game and came over to join the conversation.

"You look like you're feeling better," Beast Boy said. Then he lowered his voice. "We were really worried about you."

"You were asleep for a long time," Cyborg said.

I paused before asking the question that I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to, "How long?"

"You have been unconscious for a week," Starfire answered.

A week? Wow. Well, I was determined not to sleep like that again for as long as I could. Sleep could be saved for when I was dead.

"Well, I do feel much better," I said. "Thank you all for taking such good care of me." I took another bite of pancake, chewing it as slowly as before to savor every bit of the food.

Everyone smiled. Cyborg and Beast Boy turned to go back to their game; Starfire resumed her dish washing. And I realized that Robin was staring at me.

I squirmed a bit in my seat. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

He continued to scrutinize me. "You just seem different."

I almost choked on the food in my mouth. "Different?" I asked with a mouthful of food. "How so?"

His gaze relaxed a bit. "Well, for one thing, what's with your makeshift skirt?"

I swallowed. "Oh, uh…my legs were cold this morning and since I didn't have any pants, I decided to just use my skirt. I think I may go to the store today to buy a pair."

There it was again. I could feel everything grind to a screeching halt as everyone stared at me again.

"Raven wants to go _shopping_?" Beast Boy spoke incredulously. He exchanged glances with Cyborg before they returned to their game.

"Oh glorious!" Starfire exclaimed. She seemed _really_ excited. "After you have finished eating, you and I will venture to the mall of shopping!"

"Um, okay," I said, quickly putting another forkful of food in my mouth so I wouldn't have to say anything else.

Robin polished off the last of his breakfast and chased it down with some milk. "Just one more thing," he started, "what about your voice? It seems a bit odd."

"It does?" I didn't know how I was going to explain this one. I had no idea what Raven sounded like. Did I not sound like her? I didn't exactly sound like Morgan, but I was using a stolen set of pipes.

"Yeah. Not quite as…dispassionate as usual."

Dispassionate? What did that mean? I shrugged. "I guess I'm just in a really good mood today."

He didn't say anything after that. I'm not sure if he bought it. I was already wondering how I was going to keep up this act. I'd been downstairs for exactly five minutes and I already felt like I had been failing my test as Raven.

Maybe I should tell them who I was—let them know that I wasn't Raven. But then what would they do? Lock me up? They certainly had every right to.

But today was my first chance in years to be alive—to experience all the things that I had been deprived of for two years.

_I'll tell them tomorrow_, I promised. _I just need one day_.

* * *

Starfire was certainly an interesting shopping partner. The girl got excited by _everything_. It was almost exhausting. I'd struggle to get her away from the testers at the makeup counter, and then she'd spot the jewelry and get fascinated by all of that. I finally dragged her up to the clothes and piled lots of things into her arms to keep her busy.

I had no idea what Raven's size was and I had no idea how various colors would look with her skin tone, so I grabbed pretty much everything in sight. When Starfire's arms were full, I took her into the dressing room and began to try on everything.

Surprisingly, a lot of things looked good with gray skin. I finally chose a couple of pairs of pants and some tops. I pulled a pair of black pants on over my leotard to wear on the way home. Starfire seemed overjoyed by my purchases, rambling about how she was so glad we had gone shopping together. But as we left the mall, I couldn't help but think back to Raven's closet and the lack of any variety in it. Was I already blowing it by buying these clothes?

Well, it didn't matter; I just had to get by for one day.

* * *

By the time we made it back to the watchtower, the sun had disappeared behind a veil of gray clouds. Starfire went inside, but I remained outside by the beach. I sat on the rocks, slipping off my shoes to so that I could feel the sand and water on my toes. Everything smelled like sea mist.

Maybe I was just as silly as Starfire had been at the mall. Everything seemed to hold a simple pleasure for me now. I lied back on the rocks, which were still warm from being in the sun all afternoon. I watched the clouds move overhead, smiling softly.

"Uh, Raven?" came a soft voice.

I sat up quickly, turning in embarrassment. Beast Boy stood on the rocks a few feet above me. "Oh, hi," I said.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Um, no," I said. "Not at all."

He came down and sat beside me on the rock. I was too embarrassed now to lie back down, so I sat with my hands in my lap, moving my toes in the water.

"I was wondering if we could talk."

Uh-oh. Talking. That meant more questions that I probably couldn't answer. What was the solution? Make _him_ talk instead.

"Actually," I began, "I was hoping I could ask you a question."

"Shoot," he said.

I paused for a moment, scratching my head. "I'm afraid I don't actually remember what happened the day I was hurt. Can you tell me anything?"

"Sure," he said. "I didn't actually see it happen, but Star did. She said that you were in the middle of casting a spell and then you just seemed lose consciousness. You fell out of the sky and landed on top of a pile of rubble."

I let his words sink in for a moment. That certainly explained the massive bruising on the right side of my body.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

I quickly shook my head. "No, no. Nope," I rambled. "I mean, I was casting a spell like Star said, and then…nothing." As I thought about it, I remembered the SUV and the baby in the car. Had I actually saved the baby? "Beast Boy, there was a convenience store nearby, and an SUV out front. Do you know if..? I mean, was any of that destroyed?"

He looked at me like I had grown another head. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but I don't think so. Cyborg and Robin blew that guy into pebbles super-fast after you fell. Then we got you home and put you in the infirmary. It took you a lot longer than usual to heal yourself, though. It was just all weird."

"But I'm better now," I offered.

He smiled softly. "I'm glad."

Droplets of rain began to pour from the sky, and I tilted my head up to feel them fall on my face. The drops were few and far between at first, and then began to come faster.

"Uh, what're you doing?" Beast Boy asked.

I smiled. "Enjoying the rain." He said nothing, still giving me that odd look. "Come on, don't you know how to enjoy the rain?"

"I'm Beast Boy. Of _course_ I know how to enjoy the rain." And suddenly he turned into a duck.

I jumped at the sudden transformation. But then the duck hopped off the rock and waddled into the water, quacking happily. There was just something very humorous about watching the green duck paddle in the water, and I had to giggle. It felt good to giggle.

So I lied back on the rock again, and we both enjoyed the rain in our own way.


	4. Krispity Krunch

A/N:

Zicora: I'm so glad that you gave me my first review:) Where has Raven (the real Raven, anyway) disappeared to? Well, her whereabouts won't be exposed in this chapter or even the next, but all will be revealed in Chapter 6. I haven't forgotten about her!

* * *

Beast Boy and I came in about an hour later, both of us absolutely drenched by the downpour outside. Beast Boy complained that he would probably get sick from being out in the rain like that, but he didn't seem really serious about it. I think he'd had a good time, too.

My new pants were covered with mud, but I didn't care. After some searching, I found my way back to Raven's room, where I changed into some jeans and a white sweater. I absently ran a comb through my hair while I glanced over the bookshelves. Raven certainly was a lover of books, and weird books at that. Some had relatively simple titles like _Sisters of the Light_, _Star Signs_, and _Tales of Harazath_. Others seemed a lot darker, like _Qualities of Necromancy, Charms & Divination, _and the almost-obligatory _Book of Counted Shadows_. I scanned the spines for a book with the title _What to Do When You've Been Sucked into Another Person's Body_, but didn't see anything like that. She did, however, have a couple books about communicating with the dead. I pulled them off the shelves and set them on the chair beside the bed, deciding that I would look through them tonight.

I realized that I was getting hungry again. I wondered how many people would be in the common room. Maybe I could just play it cool and not get too many questions. I walked down to the common room, sighing with relief when I saw that no one was there. I meandered over to the refrigerator, peering inside.

Hmm. Milk, eggs, cheese, apples, et cetera. Pretty basic stuff. I decided to check the cupboards, too.

The first cupboard was just pots and pans, but in the second cupboard—_Krispity Krunch_. I hadn't eaten Krispity Krunch in so long. It had been my favorite cereal. I would spend hours eating it while watching cartoons after school. And I loved Krispity Krunch Squares.

I wondered if there were any marshmallows around. Were these superteens big on sweets?

I began digging through the cupboards, shuffling through soups, breads, and pastas while eating dry Krispity Krunch out of my hand.

"Raven?" spoke a voice from right behind me.

I jumped. I yelped. I dropped the box of cereal, spilling it on the floor. I turned around quickly, facing Robin, who was two feet away. He was one stealthy guy.

I swore when I looked down at the mess at my feet, and quickly picked up the box and set it on the counter. I hoped there was still enough cereal to make my squares. Then I started to push the spilled cereal into a little pile with my hands. I really needed a broom, not that I knew where one was. I

"Looking for something?" the Boy Wonder asked.

I looked up at him, my purple hair falling into my eyes. "Marshmallows?"

He walked down to the last set of cupboards, opening them wide for me to see. Dozens of bags of marshmallows, large and small, filled the shelves. "You know that marshmallows are one of Star's favorite foods," he said.

"Right. Of course," I muttered. I tried to spot a broom out of the corner of my eye without being too obvious about it. I didn't see one. Robin was still hovering. "Uh, could you help me clean up?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit more tart than I intended.

"Sure," he said with a shrug. He retrieved a little broom and dustpan and began to sweep up the mess, doing pretty much everything so I could only stand by and watch.

It was odd how he was in uniform still. Were these guys in uniform all the time? What did they sleep in? Maybe they had pajamas, but the pajamas looked just like their uniforms in case they had to run out to fight crime in the middle of the night.

Oh now my brain was just being silly.

I snapped out of my chain of questions and walked over the marshmallow cabinet, pulling out a bag of mini-marshmallows. Then I went back over to the fridge and found the butter. Finally, I reached back into the first cupboard to find a large saucepan. At least I'd figured out where _something_ was stashed in this place.

I placed the pan on the stove and dumped in the butter and marshmallows. Robin finished cleaning up my cereal explosion.

"Wanna help me?" I asked.

He peered into the saucepan. "What are you doing?"

"Making Krispity Krunch Squares," I answered in a tone that suggested that it was all very obvious. I paused, waiting for him to question me, but he didn't. "Come here," I instructed, moving out of the way and pushing him in front of the stove. I placed a wooden spoon in his hand. "Stir."

He did as I said, placing the spoon in the pan and stirring around the butter and marshmallows as they slowly melted. He seemed to concentrate on this the same way a person would concentrate on dismantling a bomb.

I couldn't resist a smirk. "You're kinda cute when you cook," I said.

He blushed. That was cute, too.

I decided to push the boundaries and talk. "So, things have been slow around here lately?"

"Yeah," he replied. "We only had one call to take care of while you were…asleep," he said.

"Was it anything big?" I asked.

"Nah, just a bomb threat."

_Just_ a bomb threat? How jaded was he? And how often did superheroes die, anyway? Perhaps not every villain was a threat, but really, they were probably putting their lives on the line every time they went out against a foe. Superpowers or not, it really was remarkable what these teens did for mankind.

"Okay," Robin began, "this stuff is starting to melt really quickly now."

I turned off the stove and grabbed the box of cereal. "Then let's add the Krispty Krunch part of the Krispity Krunch Squares." I realized that I didn't have a measuring cup. Well, I was just going to eye it. I began to pour in the cereal. "Keep stirring," I instructed.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Robin asked. "You don't even have a recipe."

"I read it somewhere," I murmured, setting the empty box aside. The mixture in the pan because to get a little harder to stir, and I smiled at the daintiness with which Robin was stirring.

"Move aside," I said, taking the spoon from his hand. "You gotta get tough with this stuff before it cools." I began working the spoon with fervor. "Why don't you get a pan for us to put this in?"

He opened the cupboard, peering inside. "What kind of pan?"

I smiled. The kid knew how to bring a 300-pound man to his knees in less than five seconds, but he didn't know anything about Krispity Krunch Squares. "A cake pan." He pulled out the appropriate pan, setting it on the counter. "Okay, now take off your gloves," I instructed.

"What? Why?" he exclaimed, reacting to the question as if I'd told him to take off his clothes rather than just his gloves.

"Because we have to press this stuff into the pan and you're not going to want sticky goop getting on your gloves."

He seemed to accept this, and pulled his gloves off, setting them aside. I quickly brought the saucepan over and began to pour the mixture into the cake pan, smashing it down as best as I could with the spoon.

"Start flattening it out," I said. He did as I told him, pressing his fingers down to make it all even. Once the saucepan was empty, I took the spoon and licked the remaining bits of Krispity Krunch mixture off of it. Oh, that tasted so good. I could eat half the pan of squares right now. Food was just so amazing.

Robin flashed me a goofy grin. "You have bits of Krispity Krunch on your nose."

I scooped up a bit of the concoction with my finger, touching it to his nose, where it stuck. "Hmm…so you do."

He lifted his hands, which were coated with goop. He moved them toward me, wiggling his fingers in a threatening manner. "You better watch out," he teased.

I just laughed. "Okay! Truce!"

He smiled and finished flattening out the stuff in the pan. "Now what?"

"Now we wait about five minutes and then we chow down."

"It smells good."

"I know!" I agreed. "My stomach is rumbling like crazy."

He washed his hands and face while I plucked the Krunchies off my nose. Then we both took a seat on opposite sides of the counter, waiting for our dessert to cool.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. "That was fun."

"It was," he said as he pulled on his gloves again. Not many guys could pull off elbow-length green gloves, but he did it quite nicely. Then he let out a long breath. "Raven, you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

I blinked dumbly. "Uh, yeah," I said, trying to sound like I really did know what he was talking about.

"Okay," he responded simply. I was glad that he didn't push me. I was actually enjoying the company of the non-pushy Robin. He was kinda cute when he wasn't being an ass. "I just worry about you sometimes," he said quietly. "You're not exactly a talkative person—especially when you're having a problem with something."

I didn't know what to say. This was probably my big chance to come clean, but I wasn't ready for that yet. I didn't want to ruin this moment.

"What is that splendid smell?" Starfire asked as she came into the room. She flew down the stairs and hovered over Robin's shoulder.

"Raven made dessert," Robin said. "Krispity Krunch Squares."

Her eyes became large and shiny with excitement. "Krispity Krunch Squares!" Then she furrowed her brow. "What are those?"

"Did someone say Krispity Krunch Squares?" Cyborg exclaimed, racing into the room with Beast Boy in tow. "Bring on the marshmallowy goodness!"

"Marshmallows!" Starfire exclaimed. "I cannot wait to try this delight."

"Would you get a knife, Beast Boy?" I asked. He did so, and handed it to me. I quickly cut the pan's contents into little squares, and everyone grabbed one and began to eat.

For over an hour we laughed and talked and ate the dessert. I had never really thought of superheroes as having a life outside of crime fighting, but really, they were just as human as everyone else. Well, except for the ones who were aliens, but you know what I mean, right? I hadn't known them for even a day, and I already wanted to call them my friends. I had never had many friends while growing up—I was far too shy for that sort of thing.

_Of course,_ I thought bitterly, _they aren't _your_ friends. They think you're Raven_.

I told my brain to shut up and not spoil the moment.


	5. Parasite

A/N:

I swore that I wouldn't be the type of author who lived for reviews, but I have to admit that it great to hear from those of you who are enjoying my story. Thank you so much for all your support! It definitely makes me want to write more!

* * *

My eyes snapped open as a piercing alarm filled the air. Red lights flashed. I sat up quickly in Raven's bed, groggy and disoriented. Books tumbled from my chest and the mattress to the floor; I had fallen asleep while reading about séances and equally weird things.

The noise continued. It was worse than any alarm clock I'd ever heard in my life. I wondered what time it was. It was still dark outside, lightning occasionally illuminating the clouds in the sky. It looked like the storm had moved on, however.

What on earth did that screeching sound mean? Was it a fire alarm? Something else? Whatever it was, it probably wasn't meant to be slept through.

I threw back the covers, pulling on the jeans, sweater, and shoes that I had discarded on the floor before going to bed. I glanced back out the window, then grabbed Raven's cloak. Hopefully that would add a little bit of protection from the rain if it decided to come back.

I ran down the hallway. Where was I supposed to go? Where were the others? There was only one room that I was even slightly familiar with in this place—the common room. I decided to head there.

My heart was pounding in my ears and I was out of breath by the time I reached the room. Fortunately, my guess had been correct. The four Titans stood in front of the giant screen, which displayed a street map of the city. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I could see a red dot moving along the streets on the screen. Chances were that I needed to pay attention to that red dot.

"Okay, everyone," Robin spoke up as soon as I entered the room. They had obviously been waiting impatiently for me to show up, but I don't know how I could have gotten there any faster. "The Parasite has been spotted in our city. We've never fought him before, so we'll get the details in the T-Car on the way over. Let's go!"

They all turned, the boys running while Starfire flew overhead. Great. More running. I turned and followed on their heels. We ended up in the garage, before what I assumed was the T-Car. It didn't exactly look like something that was picked up at the local dealership. Cyborg jumped into the driver's seat and the others climbed into the back, so I took the passenger's seat.

I barely had time to fasten my seat belt when Cyborg called out, "Buckle up!" and slammed his foot onto the gas pedal. The car accelerated quickly, pressing me into the back of the chair as we rocketed out of the building.

The G-forces began to decline, and I felt my face returning to its natural shape. Cyborg pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and a small screen appeared out of the dashboard, showing the same map with the red dot that we had been looking at in the watchtower, now with a little "T" that I assumed was us.

"All right, listen up," Robin said. "We're up against Parasite. He's got the ability to drain any power you have and use it against you. He can also drain your energy until death. You know what that means—_no_ hand-to-hand. You have to fight him at a distance.

Beast Boy pouted. "Man, that's no fun."

"Also, no electricity—he can absorb that, too."

Cyborg grumbled at that one.

"Basically," Robin continued, "we're really going to depend on Star and Raven for this one. You two are the only ones that can give a good non-electrical fight from a distance."

Oh no. What on earth did they expect me to do? I'd only seen Raven fight once—when she had been flying through the air and casting her spells.

Oh shit. Were they expecting me to fly? I'd completely forgotten that Raven even _could_ fly. And then there were the spells. What were the words she had been saying? I didn't even know how it started. Asthma-bath? Abernathy? Ala-peanut butter sandwiches?

I was in deep trouble.

All too soon, the little "T" met up with the red dot. Cyborg stopped the T-Car in the middle of what looked like a sleepy street. Both sides of the street were lined with brownstones, their windows dark and the people inside asleep. There weren't any signs of mayhem at all.

The others got out of the car, so I did the same.

"Careful, Titans," Robin cautioned. "Stay on your communicator."

Beast Boy morphed into a hawk and took to the sky with Starfire. Cyborg and Robin began to walk in opposite directions. I shuffled over to the sidewalk, leaping over the puddles in the road. Then I slowly began to walk along the sidewalk. My eyes scanned everywhere. I could feel the adrenaline building in my veins. It was like I was a part of a scary movie or something.

There was a loud clicking sound behind me, and I jumped at the sudden noise, whirling around. It was nothing but an alleyway generator, clanking as it built up heat. The golden eyes of an orange cat, which was curled up on top of the machine, reflected sleepily back at me.

I felt ridiculous. Some hero I was.

Starfire flew overhead, one of her hands glowing with green power to pierce the darkness. My eyes followed her for a moment, and then stopped as they came to rest across the street. A man was stretched out on an old bench, with newspapers covering most of his body. I felt a pang of sadness run through me. How many nights had that been me, trying to use wet newspaper or cardboard to keep myself warm?

I drew my cloak closer to me to brace against a chill that ran down my spine. The whole image was too close to home. Even two years of being dead couldn't erase the painful memories I had gained while living on the streets.

Something rubbed up against my ankles, and I looked down to see the orange cat, purring as he stroked his body against me. I smiled softly, reaching down and petting the warm fur.

And then I froze, glancing back over my shoulder at the generator. I stepped into the alley, the cat padding behind me. I placed my hand against the humming metal. Just as I had suspected, it was very warm—which is why the cat had been sleeping on it.

So why was that man sleeping on the airy bench instead of next to this generator? It's not like he couldn't hear it; he had to know it was there.

Unless he wasn't what he looked like.

The cat mewed at me, and I glanced down at him. "Better get out of here, kitty. Things are about to get noisy."

I lifted my communicator, pressing the button. It gave a soft little chirping noise. "Guys, I found him."

"_Where?"_ Robin's voice came back through the speaker.

"About 50 feet north of the T-Car—there's a man on a bench. It's Parasite."

"_I flew over that location,"_ Starfire interjected. _"It is only a man with no home."_

"No," I broke in. "Trust me, that guy does not live on the streets."

"_How do you know?"_ Robin asked.

What was I to say? Now wasn't exactly the time to go into my intricate knowledge of the outdoors. "I know," was all I said.

"_So who wants to go over there and wake him up?"_ Cyborg asked.

No one said anything. I was positive that I'd found our bad guy. I remembered back to the day when I had first met the Titans. I hadn't had any fear then. Of course, I was also non-corporeal then, too.

But I could be just as brave now. I was the same person inside. I stepped out of the alley, but an arm suddenly appeared in front of me, holding me back.

It was Robin. He glanced at me and held up his other hand; three circular devices rested between his fingers. I wasn't sure what they were, but I figured they would rouse the guy. I nodded once.

Robin launched the disks. He aimed them so that they didn't hit the bench, but they exploded all around it. _Boom! Boom! Boom!_ I jumped a bit, startled by the wallop the little devices contained. The noise set off every car alarm on the block. The man leapt to his feet, his skin color changing to purple, as his form grew more muscular and looming.

Robin drew his bowstaff, a mixture of determination and excitement on his face. "Titans! GO!" he shouted.

Starfire glided overhead, starbolts flying from her hands and pelting Parasite's shoulders and back. He turned toward her, just as Robin leapt into the arm, delivering a powerful swipe with his staff. Beast Boy came swooping down out of the sky, changing into a tiger right before he hit the ground; he ran toward the melee, keeping a slight distance but providing a great blur of a distraction. Cyborg's right arm converted into a large cannon, and he aimed it at Parasite and fired. The blow made the bad guy stumble, but not for long. He used the momentum to leap into the oncoming path of Beast Boy.

"Watch out!" Starfire cried over the noise of the weaponry and car alarms. The tiger almost tripped as he quickly maneuvered to get out of Parasite's grasp. Starfire came closer, continuing to rain down her starbolts. "Raven! Assist us! Use your magic!" she pleaded.

If only I knew how.

"Raven!" she called again, glancing toward me.

That moment of hesitation was exactly what Parasite had been waiting for. "No," I whispered, already knowing that it was too late. He jumped, grasping Starfire by the ankle, and the pair froze in mid-air.

She let out an ear-piercing scream that rivaled the chaos around us. I could see the energy draining from Starfire's body, pouring down into Parasite. Her skin was paling; her eyes were rolling up into her head. Cyborg's cannon continued to blast Parasite, but it wasn't having any effect.

"Star!" Robin cried out. He threw his bowstaff into Parasite's arm, knocking the purple hand away from the girl. The redhead's energy was completely gone. She was falling.

Beast Boy leapt underneath her, changing into a large gorilla and catching her in his massive arms. He ran toward me, depositing Starfire at my feet before morphing back into his human form. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes fluttering, but she was definitely alive.

But she looked like death warmed over. I would know.

"Dude!" Beast Boy snapped at me. "Do something! 'Metrion Zinthos' already!"

I had no idea what he was talking about. Was this some sort of secret code phrase?

I glanced back at Parasite. His eyes and hands glowed green, just as Starfire's had. He launched starbolts in two directions—aiming for Robin and Cyborg. Robin leapt out of the way, perching on top of a nearby car. Cyborg also avoided being hit by dropping to the ground and firing his weapon a few more times.

I watched the blasts from the cannon hit Parasite, and the brightness of his glowing body parts seemed to increase. The energy was actually feeding the freak.

"Oh shit," I mumbled. Beast Boy gave me a shocked look, but I barely noticed. "Cyborg!" I yelled. "Ix-nay on the annon-cay!" His half-robotic brain seemed to understand the Pig Latin and he stopped. He glanced at me, a bit of helplessness in his human eye. If he couldn't fire at the bad guy or lay a hand on him, then what could he do?

Robin seemed a bit shaken seeing Parasite's abilities at work at Starfire's expense. He was now maintaining a more healthy distance, trying to knock the purple monstrocity back with his bowstaff and various little explosives. But with Starfire's abilities now at Parasite's command, the Boy Wonder had his work cut out for him. The starbolts were flying all around, and Robin executed several flips and jumps to keep out of the way.

I couldn't keep standing around like this. Robin needed help. The whole team needed help. I had to do something. I couldn't just keep pretending to be a hero. It was just putting everyone in danger; Starfire had depended on me and it had gotten her zapped.

Besides, why was I acting scared? It's not like I had to fear death. I knew what waited on the other side. There were worse things out there. It was time to be brave. It was time to be the girl I had been that day in front of the convenience store.

I glanced along the street, then back at Parasite. A plan was forming in my head. Sort of.

"BB, watch Star," I ordered, running over to Cyborg, who jumped up and met me halfway. "Here's the plan," I started, cutting right to the chase. "Rob and I will create a distraction. I'm going to need you to fire at those power lines and knock them down." I pointed up at the lines that ran along the street.

"But he absorbs electric power," Cyborg protested.

I motioned toward the many puddles that filled the street. "So let's see him absorb 7200 volts while standing in water."

Cyborg grinned, understanding. "I gotcha back, girl." He re-armed his cannon. "I'll be ready when you are."

I sprinted back toward Parasite. The adrenaline rush was intoxicating by now. I concentrated on it, letting it block out all fear and reason. Now it was time to make good with the distraction. Really, I could only think of one.

So he liked to drain people's energies. Let's see how he would react to the dead girl.

As soon as I got close, Parasite managed to slam a flurry of starbolts into Robin. The teen flew back, slamming into the windshield of a parked car. He stirred, but not without obvious pain.

That was the last straw. My every thought was on my target. No hesitation. I continued running full-tilt.

Parasite was beginning to turn around—to find his next victim. I slammed into him linebacker-style. He was much larger than me, but I had the element of surprise and a lot of energy. He stumbled back. His hands gripped me reflexively to brace himself.

My eyes fell to the ground. We had stopped short of any of the puddles. So much for my brilliant plan.

That was the last strategic thought I had.

And then the sucking began. Literally.

It seemed to dive straight to my core, trying to siphon out my very soul. My mouth opened wide, but I couldn't breathe—I couldn't even scream. I already felt like I couldn't move if I tried with all my might.

_Stay in the body, _I told myself. _Stay alive._

Then there was screaming in the air, but it took a moment for me to realize that it _wasn't_ coming from me. It was Parasite! I could feel him wanting to let go of me, but he couldn't, just as I couldn't get away from him. His form seemed to shrink—his head becoming more and more skeletal. And then his torso appeared to rip into two; each half became its own form—like some strange conjoined twin that shared a pair of legs. A bubble of inky black magic poured from his mouths, flowing down his torsos like unhurried lava.

I heard Cyborg shouting, but I couldn't make out any words over the chaos.

_Stay alive stay alive stay alive,_ I chanted in my head.

An loud _boom!_ rattled off to the side, and suddenly we were being knocked over by a spray of water. I suddenly felt air and water rush into my lungs and I gasped, sputtered, and spat as I fell on top of the mutating purple mass. I felt Parasite's hold on me loosen and I struggled to get up, but the high-pressure spray surrounded me, disorienting me and pushing against my weakened body.

A green blur grabbed onto my cloak, whisking me free of Parasite's grasp. Seconds later, I found myself facedown on the sidewalk.

There was another explosion—this time sounding like Cyborg's weapon. Even though my eyes were closed, I could see flashes of white light through my eyelids. More screaming. Sizzling. And then nothing but the continuous noise of the damn car alarms, which sounded almost peaceful in comparison to the explosions.

And then came talking and shouting from the buildings, and nearby coughing, groaning, and muttering—presumably from the rest of the team. I opened my eyes, seeing the other Titans littered on the sidewalk with me. Starfire was sitting up now, but still looked pale and like she was about to vomit. Robin sat beside her, covered in scratches and bleeding from a large gash on his forehead. Cyborg crouched next to the pair, beginning to check them over.

Using every bit of strength I had, I rolled over to face the street. My wet hair fell into my eyes, but I didn't even have the strength to lift my hand and brush it back. So I looked through the drippy strands at the mess that had been created.

A nearby fire hydrant had been completely blown away, overflowing the streets with its high-pressure shower. The power line was down, thanks to Cyborg, its end resting in the road. A transformer on a nearby power pole spewed smoke, all of its power completely blown out as the electricity had rushed to the ground.

And Parasite lied unconscious in the middle of the flood road. His appearance was relatively back to normal—no more double heads or weird blackness. Now his body smoked and crackled like fried bacon. Gross. But he was down. And there was no way he was getting up any time soon.

Ugh, and neither was I.

Beast Boy squatted down next me and pushed my hair out of my face. "You are absolutely nuts," he said, looking at me with a goofy grin.

I smiled back at him. Then I passed out.


	6. Confrontation

A/N:

There's nothing like a weird computer glitch to set you back in your story writing. I lost _days_ of writing earlier this week and I don't even know how it happened. So I've had to go back and try to re-create everything. cries Anyway, I have you, my loyal readers, to thank for keeping me motivated to write after all that writing went _poof!_ I have been working hard so I don't let you down!

However, it seems that everyone has one question on his/her mind: **WHERE IS RAVEN?** Well, that ends today. Raven's whereabouts are finally revealed. Read on to find out where our favorite Azarathian (Azarathite? Azarathander?) has been all this time...

* * *

I woke up on the couch in the common room. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. The details of the fight popped into my mind. Seeing Starfire and Robin get hurt. The awful pain that had raced through me when I couldn't get out of Parasite's grip. The exhaustion after being dumped on the sidewalk. Aside from a headache, I felt just fine now, which was remarkable considering what I had been through. Really, I knew that I was very lucky. 

I ran my fingers through my hair, which had dried at various angles. Ugh. This was going to fun to fix. I tried to flatten it out a bit before I went upstairs to take a shower. Hmm. Why had they left me on the couch, anyway? Were Robin and Starfire okay? Where was everyone? Did they keep any aspirin in this place?

And then I had the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced over my shoulder, my eyes widening in surprise.

All four Titans were in the center of the room. Starfire hovered in the air, her eyes and hands glowing with her green firepower. She obviously had regained her strength. Beast Boy had transformed into a wolf, his fur standing up and his teeth bared in anger. Cyborg had his sonic cannon aimed right at me. Robin didn't _appear_ to have a weapon, but his arms were crossed angrily. He had two little adhesive bandages on his forehead, holding his Parasite-inflicted gash closed.

"Wh-what's the matter, guys?" I asked, finding my mouth suddenly very dry.

"We need to talk," Cyborg stated.

"Okay," was all I managed to say. I slowly rose to my feet, turning to face them.

Starfire's voice was soft, but her intimidating appearance showed that she meant business. "We wish to know what you have done with our friend Raven."

"I—I don't—"

The wolf charged me, snarling angrily as he leapt over the couch. I jumped back, nearly stumbling. But then the wolf changed into human form. "Don't you _dare_ say that you don't know what we're talking about! Do you think we're stupid? Do you think we wouldn't know?" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"You do not have mannerisms like Raven," Starfire explained. "You do not speak or dress like her. You do not experience the boundless joy of flight or harness control of your emotions and the things around you."

The green-skinned Titan stood toe-to-toe with me, glaring angrily. "You—are—_not_—Raven."

There was a soft whirring noise as Cyborg powered up his cannon. "Alright, whomever you are—this is a time when you need to think very carefully before you say anything."

Alarms were going off in my head. My legs were ready to run, even though I was pretty sure that I couldn't outrun any of them.

No, there wasn't going to be a need to run. I hadn't done anything wrong. I was an innocent. And these were the good guys. I just had to explain myself.

"Now," Robin began, "tell us who you _really_ are."

I glanced at all of them and their angry looks, taking a deep breath. "Okay," I said. _You're innocent,_ I reminded myself. "My name is Morgan."

Now the Titans exchanged glances. They were getting the truth, but did they believe me? I hoped there wasn't some big bad out there with the name Morgan, or I was dust.

"Morgan?" Cyborg repeated.

I nodded several times, perhaps a little over-eager. "Yeah."

They all looked very skeptical. "And who do you work for?" Cyborg asked.

Work for? Now they thought I was an evil flunky? "No one!" I exclaimed. "I don't work for anyone! I'm not a bad person, I swear!"

"But, Morgan," Starfire started, "if you are not a bad person, as you say, then how is it you took over Raven's form? What have you done with our friend?"

"Nothing! I didn't mean to do it! Actually, I didn't even do it at all! I—I think Raven did it. It was all an accident!" I was rambling in my panic. How weak could I be?

"Start at the beginning," Robin ordered.

The beginning. Well that was a bit relative, wasn't it? I took a deep breath. "Like I said, my name is Morgan—Morgan Hutchins. I was downtown that day of the accident—when you guys were fighting the rock monster. There was a convenience store with an SUV parked out front, and Raven was going to use her powers to throw the car into the monster. But there was a baby inside and she didn't know it, so I jumped between her and the car as she was casting her spell. There was this flash of light, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here in your infirmary. In Raven's body."

I stopped there. The others were staring at me with obvious disbelief. Not like I could blame them.

"That's it?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah. One minute I was there and the next I was here."

"Nice try," Beast Boy scoffed. "But Raven would have stopped her spell if she'd seen you. And besides, if her magic had pulled a big body-snatcher switcheroo like you claim, then Raven would have found a way to contact us by now."

"Yes," Starfire said. "Unless something happened to her. We will need to locate Morgan's body."

Wow—even the idea of a body swap didn't faze these guys. Superheroes had to be extremely jaded folks. Of course, I was going to throw a wrench into the works, as well.

I squeezed my eyes tight and wrinkled up my nose, already feeling the unpleasant taste of the bomb that I was about to drop on them. "Well, there might have been one _tiny_ thing that I forgot to mention," I mumbled.

"What's that?" Cyborg snapped.

I took a deep breath, and then let it drop: "I didn't have a body because I'm dead."

Starfire descended to the floor, the green glow dissipating from her hands and eyes. Cyborg lowered his cannon. Beast Boy scratched behind his ears, a puzzled expression on his face. Robin didn't move, continuing to stand with his arms folded. The silence felt eternally long, but it was probably just a few seconds.

"I know it sounds crazy," I spoke again, "but it's the truth. I died two years ago in an alleyway in this very city."

More quietness. It was driving me batty.

"Are there lots of ghosts?" Starfire finally asked.

I shook my head. "No. At least, I don't think so. I never saw another ghost. And no one could ever see me—well, except babies and animals—but that doesn't do us any good."

"Ex-_cuse_ me," Beast Boy interjected. He turned into a floppy-eared dog, scratched behind his ears with his back leg, and then morphed back into a human. "I'm Beast Boy. I can turn into any animal."

That was true. But he hadn't seen me that day of the accident, either. "Yeah, but you still have a human brain."

Cyborg walked over to the computer on the wall and began to type furiously.

"So what you're saying," Robin spoke icily, "is that you have no idea where Raven is."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't. She might be a ghost, but there's no way to know."

Cyborg glanced over his shoulder. "You know who this is?" he asked. A picture flashed up on the screen.

My breath caught in my throat. It was a photograph of a smiling young girl, with dirty blond hair all around her shoulders and light brown eyes. It was me.

The picture was a bit outdated—I had been about 10 when it was taken—but I could recall every detail. My mom had taken it while we were picnicking at a park near our home. I was wearing a pink tank top with a ballerina on it that I had received for my birthday; I had wanted to be a dancer so badly, but we couldn't afford lessons. My chin rested on top of the head of my sister—just one-year old in that photo.

The smile on my face seemed so foreign. But that had been a happier time in my life. Mom had been relatively sober, and her asshole boyfriend—my future step-dad—had yet to enter into the picture. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Technically, it was.

"That's me," I whispered, barely able to find my voice. "That's me nine years ago. And that's my sister in my lap. We were on a picnic in the park."

"Where did you find that likeness, Cyborg?" Starfire asked. She and the others joined him by the computer.

"It's a missing person's report," he answered. "It was filed five years ago by the police in Rock Springs, Wyoming."

"Were you kidnapped?" Beast Boy inquired, glancing back at me.

"No," I returned quietly. "I ran away from home."

A few more seconds of silence.

"So, she is Morgan?" Starfire questioned.

"Or someone who knows a lot about this missing girl," Robin spoke coldly.

I was a bit taken aback. It never occurred to me that they would continue to doubt me like this after I came clean.

Beast Boy turned and ran out of the room, but the others barely took notice as they scrutinized my file, talking amongst themselves. I glanced up at the photo again, then down at my gray-skinned hands—_Raven's_ gray-skinned hands. This body had allowed me to experience life again, but it would never be mine. This whole thing was just a speed bump on the path of eternal earth wandering.

Suddenly I felt very claustrophobic. I sat back down on the couch, folding my arms around my knees. I thought I would feel better when the truth came out, but I was actually feeling much worse.

"Raven has power from other worlds and dimensions," Cyborg was saying. "Do you suppose her spell accidentally triggered something when in contact with Morgan?"

"I don't know," Robin returned. "But that's even assuming that what she's saying is true."

"And we still need to discover what happened to friend Raven," Starfire added.

I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't want to sit here while they talked about me like I wasn't there. And I needed to pee really badly. I released my legs and stood up, shuffling around the couch.

The three Titans stopped talking, suddenly turning toward me. "Where are you going?" Robin demanded to know.

I glanced back at them. "Um, just to the bathroom."

"Not on your own, you're not," he snapped. "Starfire, go with her." The redhead nodded, flying over to my side.

I was a bit confused. "I don't need a guide to the toilet. I know where it is."

"You lied to us all and nearly got us killed last last. So we can't allow you to go _anywhere _on your own. Not until we figure this out."

I gaped. They all looked extremely resolved. I could see that there would be no point in fighting their decision. At least not right now. "Fine," I grumbled, storming away with Starfire floating beside me. This was absolutely ridiculous. Did they think I was going to run away with Raven's body? I could have been to Mexico by now if that had been my intention from the beginning.

Starfire waited outside the bathroom while I went in to take care of business. As I sat on the toilet, observing the bruises and scratches on my legs, my mind began to boil.

"_You lied to us all and nearly got us killed last night,"_ Robin had said. Well, it's not like I hadn't thrown myself into the mix. Did I really deserve to be escorted like an inmate?

I finished up and went over to the sink to wash my hands, glancing in the mirror. I was covered in dried mud. My new sweater was ruined—filthy and ripped in several places. I looked like crap.

But I was lucky to be alive.

I cupped my hands under the faucet and washed my face, then tried to use some water to smooth down my hair. I dried my hands and face and then stepped out into the hallway.

Starfire leaned against the wall, one arm drawn across her body and clutching her opposite elbow. Out of all the Titans, she was the one who had suffered the most because of my actions and non-actions.

My anger was already fading. Perhaps they were right to treat me like this. Maybe. They were just being careful.

"Hey," I started, "I'm sorry about what happened last night. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"I thank you for your apology," she said. "I did not think that it was your intention for me to be injured." We began to walk back to the common room. "Even though I was without consciousness for much of the battle, I was told that you fought most bravely."

"Or most stupidly," I muttered.

"Yes," she agreed. "I was told that, also."

I probably should have been offended, but I wasn't.

Beast Boy was coming back into the room just as we were. He was carrying something, but I couldn't see what it was. The others seemed to know what he was carrying, however.

Cyborg, in particular, flipped out at the sight of it. "BB! What are you doing with that thing?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "I thought it would help us find out what happened to Raven."

"But don't you remember what happened the last time we messed around with that?"

"Of course. But I'm open if you have any other brilliant ideas." He waited for anyone to speak up, but no one did. He nodded in satisfaction, and then walked over to me. It looked like he was holding some kind of hand mirror. "Dude, this is going to sound a bit weird…"

I smirked. "Weirder than the idea of a dead girl inhabiting the body of a Teen Titan?"

He smiled back. It was a bit refreshing to see a smile from someone. "This is a special mirror—it's kinda like a gateway into Raven's mind. I'm hoping that it will let us know where she is. You're going to need to look into it."

"But I just _look _like Raven," I stated. "Wouldn't it be the same if one of you guys looked into it?"

"I already tried," he admitted. "But the mirror is black for me. I figure that you guys are connected somehow, so I want to know if it's the same for you."

Well, that didn't seem so bad. I sat back down on the couch, and then held out my hand. "Okay, let me see it." He placed the mirror in my hand while the others gathered around me to get a glimpse.

The mirror was slightly creepy. Its circular frame had what appeared to be two sets of horns; each horn rested at the "corners" of the frame. There were also two jewels set into it, resting at the top and bottom.

I held it up, letting my eyes settle on my reflection. The purple eyes gazed back at me, blinking when I blinked. I wondered if I needed to say some magic words or something to make it work—but perhaps Beast Boy would have mentioned that. Instead, I just decided to concentrate.

_Please_, I thought. _Show us where Raven is._

The reflection in the mirror swirled—like that "flashback" effect on TV shows—and the likeness of the room and the Titans behind me faded away into blackness, leaving only the image of Raven. But after a moment, even that blurred, as if going out of focus. The reflection split into two pieces, which slowly drifted apart until just a little bit was overlapping in the middle.

On the right was Raven, but it was not a mere image of the body that I occupied right now. This Raven appeared perfect, from her spotless black leotard and blue cloak to her clean skin and smooth hair. Her eyes were closed and she looked extremely peaceful. Not dead, but…sleeping.

On the left was me. The shock I had felt earlier when seeing my 10-year old self on the viewscreen was nothing compared to the shock that ran through me now. This was the Morgan I had been when I had died, minus the dirt and grime and starvation and weight of the world. Her dirty blond hair was straight and smooth; her brown eyes gleamed brightly. She even wore the green sweater that I had died in, yet it looked brand new. Unlike the visage of Raven, Morgan looked awake and happy.

The two faces blurred again as they moved back together, fading until the reflection of Raven's tired and dirty body was left behind. Then the background came back into view, as well as the faces of the surprised and puzzled Titans.

"Oh my God," I whispered. I finally moved the mirror away, glancing around at the others. "Did you guys see that?" My mind struggled to comprehend what it had just seen. It was as if we were two beings that made up one body.

I bit my lower lip. Hmm, maybe that was it. Maybe that was why I had felt so cramped this whole time. I'd just been chalking it up as the body being too short—too unfamiliar. But perhaps there really were two souls trying to occupy one space. Maybe it was all in my head, but it was as if I could feel her in the back of my mind now—sleeping.

"I think she's still in here," I murmured, tapping my finger against my temple.

"I think you're right," Robin said grimly.

"So what do we do?"

"We can't do anything yet," Cyborg said, sharing Robin's pessimistic expression.

"Why can we not help?" Starfire asked. "We now know where Raven is."

"But they share a body," Cyborg explained. "And for some reason, Morgan's personality has taken over. We're going to have to find a way to purge Morgan without killing Raven."

Purge Morgan. That boiled it all down to its simplest form. I was nothing more than a leech to be rid of.

I couldn't blame them.

The others continued to talk, but I wasn't listening any more.

So I would have to leave the body in order for Raven to come back. How could I do that? It wasn't like I could just walk out of it. What if the body died? That would probably kick me out, but would it kill Raven, too? What if they could bring her back to live through CPR or something?

I was so over my head.

And what would happen to me? Would I continue to wander the earth as before, invisible and alone? Or would I actually go to heaven? What if there was no heaven? Would I just disappear?

_You have no right to this body_, I told myself again.

My head was swimming.

I really needed to be alone.

As if reading my thoughts, Robin sat beside me on the couch. "We'll figure this out," he said reassuringly, taking my hand and giving it the slightest squeeze. I was surprised by his demonstration of caring.

Then he snapped a handcuff on my wrist.

I gaped in disbelief. "You mean I still can't be free? Didn't that mirror prove my innocence?"

"No," he said, locking my free wrist into the other cuff. "It just showed us where Raven was. We can't let her body out of our sight until we have her back. We'll let you stay right here instead of locking you up, though. For now."

"Gee, thanks," I replied, sarcasm dripping in my tone.


	7. Conversating

I sat on that couch for two days while the Teen Titans figured out what to do with me. They made sure that one of them was always with me, taking shifts at all hours. I didn't understand why they didn't just put me under lock and key, but I somewhat suspected that they didn't have the heart to do that to me because I looked like Raven. Whatever. I wondered what they would do if the alarms went off again and they had to stop some big threat, but nothing ever happened.

Starfire and Beast Boy would make small talk with me when they were on watch. Starfire was extremely curious about my adventures after my death. It was nice to finally have an audience for my "Tom Cruise Shower Experience" story, even though she didn't even know who Tom Cruise was. I discovered that Beast Boy was a vegetarian when he made me a tofurkey sandwich, which I took one bite of and couldn't finish. We played a lot of video games. Both of them didn't seem perturbed by the fact that they had to babysit me, but they also refused to talk about anything serious. When I thanked Beast Boy for swooping in and rescuing me from Parasite's clutches, he mumbled a "you're welcome" and wouldn't talk any more about the subject. I missed the Beast Boy who had spent the afternoon with me by the water outside the tower.

Cyborg and Robin, on the other hand, were the worst. They fulfilled their time as guardian, but made no effort to be kind. Both of them completely disregarded me and spent time on the computer, researching various methods to exorcise me from the body of their friend. I could tell that they were getting frustrated.

But I was more frustrated than anyone. Had I come back to this body just to sit around in handcuffs and be escorted to the bathroom? The worst part was being ignored—as if I hadn't been ignored enough over the past two years due to the fact that no one could see me.

Did they want to hate me? Then why didn't they just hate me? Did they want to forgive me? Then where was the effort toward that?

I also thought a lot about Raven. Had she been watching from the back of my mind? Did she know what was going on? My guess was that she didn't, which was probably for the best. I would be livid if I found out that someone had clambered into my driver's seat and taken my body for a joy ride.

All I knew is that I was about to lose my mind. My skin was going to start grafting itself to the couch at this rate. They let me go to the bathroom as often as I needed, fed me twice a day, and allowed me a shower every morning, but I was so sick of that room, that couch, and that giant screen. My mind began to formulate an escape plan. Not that I wanted to take off like a criminal, but there just wasn't anything else for my brain to do!

Things were going to need to change. Soon.

I was going to have to talk to Robin.

* * *

I woke up when I felt a blanket being draped over me. I tried to sit up, but a hand pressed on my shoulder.

"Go back to sleep," Robin said.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"Late," he replied simply.

I glanced around the room. Thumbnail pictures of various people glowed on the giant screen, but other than that the room was dark. "Thanks for the blanket," I murmured, pulling it up over my shoulder.

"Sure. You just looked cold." He stepped away, heading back toward the computer. The iciness couldn't be missed.

I was tired, but maybe now would be a good time to talk.

"I'm not a bad person," I said quietly.

"Maybe," Robin returned. He sat in the chair and began to review the display screens again. "But we can't take any more chances."

"Why won't you believe me?"

"Perhaps it's because you pretended to be Raven for so long."

"'_So long'_? It was only a day!" I exclaimed, sitting up. "Don't you understand? I've been dead for two years! I wanted to remember what it was like to enjoy warmth and touch and food and laughter. You don't feel those things when you're dead. You don't feel _anything_!" I took a deep breath, collecting myself. I wasn't going to cry. I _refused_ to cry. I'd cried enough during the last few years of my life. "I was going to tell you."

He turned in his chair to face me. "We gave you a chance to," he replied coldly. "_I_ gave you a chance to. You looked right at me and said that you had nothing to tell me."

I looked at my hands again. "I know. But I wasn't ready. I didn't want you to stop being my friend."

He snorted, and it sounded extremely cruel. "Don't you get it? I never _was_ your friend. I don't know you—I don't know anything about you. I'm Raven's friend." He turned back around, resuming his work.

The screen flashed through various images, and I watched for a moment before speaking again. "What's Raven like?" I asked quietly.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, it seems kind of sad that I occupy her body and the only thing I know about her is her clothing size."

He paused. "Beast Boy calls her creepy, but she's just quiet. She's into reading and meditation and things that sharpen her mind. Her powers come from her feelings, so she doesn't show a lot of emotion. But she's a powerful member of the team. Actually, you two would probably get along great. She would be fascinated by a dea--" He stopped short.

"A dead girl," I finished for him.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, his voice a bit quiet, "It just seems rude to call you that."

"It's okay—it's not like it's a big secret."

He shrugged and began going through his data again.

"That night," I began, "when you and I talked while we made dessert… Did you know then that I wasn't Raven?"

"I had my suspicions. We all did. But we weren't sure. Not until your behavior during the battle with Parasite."

"But if you knew, then why didn't you just leave me to Parasite?"

The razor-edge in his voice returned, "Because we couldn't just let you die. Because we had to know what you had done with Raven. Because the image of Raven—of Raven's body—in his grasp like that will haunt me forever."

He seemed to be taking all of this so hard—so personally. I opened my mouth, ready to ask another question, and then shut it before any words came out. I lied back down and pulled the blanket over me. After a half-second of debating, I decided to ask anyway, "Are you in love with her?"

I saw him freeze. He didn't turn. He didn't speak.

"Are you?" I asked again.

"No," he said distantly. "We're just close friends."

I had my doubts. Of course, I didn't know anything at all. Maybe he was with Starfire. Maybe he was gay or celibate. Certainly it was none of my business.

"You know that I died before I ever had my first kiss or fell in love? I'll never know what it's like to have a baby, either. Hell, I never even drove a car. Of course, I kind of bypassed things like paying taxes and working at a fast food place, too."

Robin paused, turning in his chair. "I'm sorry."

I sat up again, giving a shrug. "I guess I just wanted to tell you not to let a good thing pass you by. Especially considering your job. You never know when you're going to take your last breath."

He seemed to think about that for a moment. "My family was killed in front of me," he said simply.

I was shocked. His tone, the fact that he was sharing such a detail with me, the idea of seeing such a horrible thing…it all shook me up. "I—I'm sorry," I stuttered, the words sounding extremely inadequate. But really, what could I say?

"Don't be. I never would have become who I am today if it wasn't for that event in my life. I guess everything has a purpose." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just brought it up because I know what you mean about how you never know when something is going to happen. There are so many times when I wish that I'd had one less argument with my dad or told my mom one more time that I loved her."

I let that sink into my head. So there was a dark wrinkle in the past of the Boy Wonder. I guess I should have figured that. It would take something major for a kid with no superpowers to go out and hunt evil night after night.

"I was lucky, though," he continued. "Not every kid ends up in the home of a superhero."

I raised my eyebrows. "Batman?"

He smirked, though it was a handsome smirk. "Sure. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I guess. It's just kind of strange, I guess. You see all that stuff on the TV about what a vigilante he is and how no one knows who he is. But I'm sitting here having a conversation with someone who knows. That's…weird."

"Don't believe everything you watch on TV. He's a nice guy."

"So are you," I said. "Sometimes."

He didn't seem offended by my comment. "So, Morgan, why did you run away from home?"

The question surprised me. I had figured that question was going to come up sooner or later, but I really didn't think that Robin would be the one to ask it. "I'll answer that," I said, "if I get to ask a question of my own."

He seemed hesitant, but then nodded. "Okay."

"And you'll answer it? Nothing off-limits?" I pushed. "Not your past or Batman or innermost feelings?"

Now he seemed _really_ hesitant. I'm sure our conversation over the past few minutes weren't helping.

I added, "I promise not to ask about secret identities."

That eased his mind. "All right. Deal. So why did you run away?"

"It boils down to two things: a drug-dependent mom and a step-dad who couldn't keep his hands to himself. I don't need to go into the gruesome details—your imagination can fill in the blanks." I paused, but when _my_ imagination started to fill in the blanks, I spoke up again, "I stuck around until social services took my sister away. Then I left."

"Social services didn't come for you, too?"

"I left before they had the chance," I muttered. "My sister got lucky—she ended up with a nice family who wanted a sweet little girl to adopt. But kids my age don't end up in nice families like that. They end up in homes that are just as fucked up as the one you left."

"That's not true."

"Oh really? Then why, pray tell, are you here now instead of back in Gotham?"

"They need me here."

"And that was enough to make you leave home?"

"I'd had my arguments with Batman—I won't lie about that. But the last straw was that the teachers and counselors at school thought that it was very suspicious that a young boy would show up so often with bruises and cuts. I couldn't tell them that I was out fighting crime night after night as Robin, so they assumed I was being abused at home. They were going to put me into foster care. I left."

"So you _do_ agree with me when I saw that the foster homes can be fucked up. Too bad I didn't have a black belt in tae kwon do or I could have donned a mask and started kicking some ass instead of dumpster diving."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was keeping his mouth shut.

I changed the topic. "So, now it's my turn to ask a question."

He braced himself. "Okay, go ahead."

I paused, although I already had a question in mind. I guess I just wanted him to stress out a bit. "What color are your eyes?" I asked.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. What color are your eyes?"

"That's your question?"

"Why are you so surprised? I mean, it's not like I can tell what color they are—you wear that mask all the time!" I smiled at his puzzled expression. "What's the matter? Don't _you_ know what color they are?"

"Of course I know!" he said. "I just thought that you were going to be asking something a bit more…heavy."

"Nah. I can wait until we're actually friends before I start that."

He gave a small smile. "My eyes are blue."

I smiled back. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

He didn't say anything, which was just fine. I wondered if now was a good time to bring up my position as couch prisoner. Then I realized that I had better do it now while I had him speaking or I probably would never get an answer from him.

"Robin," I began, "I hate to bring this up, but I've just got to know… What will happen to me if you don't find a way to bring Raven back?"

"We _will_ find a way to bring Raven back," he said, the edge entering his voice again.

"But what if you don't? What will you do with me? I mean, I assume that you'll never stop looking for a way to reverse what has been done, but are you going to force me to stay on this couch forever?"

"Of course not. But I haven't really thought it out that far."

I could tell that he was just starting to go through the possibility of having to live with me around instead of Raven. He didn't seem all that happy about it, either. Not that I could blame him.

"Sorry I brought it up," I murmured.

"Forget about it," he shrugged. "Anyway, you should go back to sleep."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good night, Morgan."

"Good night," I said. I watched him as he faced the computer once more and began sorting through all of his little mugshots.

Robin really was a nice guy. When he wanted to be.

I wondered yet again if he was in love with Raven.

And then I told my head to shut up.

I lied back down and snuggled under the blanket, adjusting the cuffs on my hands so that they didn't dig into my skin. Falling asleep while gazing over at Robin didn't seem so bad, even though it did seem a little childish.

And then it was like a little light went on inside of my head. A double-take. A glimmer of recognition. A did-I-see-what-I-thought-I-saw. I sat up, the blanket falling from my shoulder as I stared at the screen.

Yes, I _did_ recognize one of the faces. It was unmistakable, really. I'd only spent an hour or so with him, but no one could forget a face that looked like that. At least, no one could forget the mask that he wore over his face—half of it black, the other half gold. With only one eye showing.

"Hey," I spoke. "I know that guy."

Robin turned. "What guy?"

I nodded toward the screen. "That guy. Top left corner."

Something flashed in Robin's eyes. He punched a few keys on the control panel, and the picture enlarged to fill the whole screen. "This one?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, that one."

Suddenly Robin was in front of me again, his expression twisted in anger. He grabbed my arm, squeezing it so tightly that it was all I could do to keep from crying out. "Tell me everything you know."

"Wh--? I—I don't know anything!" I squeaked.

"You said you knew him!" he snapped, digging his fingers into my arm.

"I've seen him before, yes."

"Did you talk to him?"

"A bit. But only for, like, an hour."

"What did he want?" he demanded to know.

His grip on me tightened, and this time I let out a small whimper. He had an extremely powerful grasp, and it didn't help that my hands were locked together in the damn handcuffs. "You're hurting me," I said.

He ignored that comment. "What did he want?" he repeated with more force.

Fear began to build inside of me. He was acting crazed, and it scared me. What had happened to the guy that I had been chatting with just moments ago? The patient, understanding one?

"He…just offered me a meal," I said.

"And you took it?"

"It was back when I was a runaway. I was hungry."

His glare softened, but just a little. He appeared to processing all of this.

"Rob, what's going on?" came Cyborg's voice. He had stopped in the doorway, trying to piece together the situation.

Robin glanced back at his friend. He stepped away from me, finally releasing my arm. I threw him a dirty look as I massaged it the best I could. "New development," he said darkly. "She knows Slade."


	8. Discovery

Apparently Slade was a big deal to the Titans. Cyborg woke up Starfire and Beast Boy, instructing them all to come downstairs. It seems that heroes don't need sleep. I was especially impressed because they came downstairs in record time, perfectly groomed and wearing their uniforms. Certainly this ability was a superpower all in its own.

"Tell us everything about your encounter with Slade," Robin demanded as soon as everyone was in the room, not the least bit polite about it. The others shuffled to sit around the table with me.

I shrugged. "Well, I had been wandering on the outskirts of town when I ran into him. He said he had just made a large dinner and invited me to eat with him."

"And you _did_?" Beast Boy exclaimed, his eyes bugging out of his head. "How could you just go and have dinner with someone who looked like that?"

I couldn't help but smirk. "This coming from a green-skinned changeling who is sitting at the table with a half-human/half-robot, an orange-skinned alien, and a boy with an identity complex?"

Beast Boy's expression became a little sheepish. "Yeah, but we're the good guys."

"Then you need to wear signs," I grumbled. "Or at least go back to the white and black hats, because the rest of us don't get the memos."

"What happened at dinner?" Robin asked, bringing the subject back.

"Nothing," I said. "We ate stew and bread and talked about books and the weather. I didn't ask about his weird mask and he didn't ask about my time on the streets. After I had eaten, he sent me on my way with some leftovers and a standing offer for me to return if I ever needed help again."

"I do not believe that Slade was acting this way because his heart felt kind," Starfire commented. The others nodded in agreement.

"Where did he take you?" Cyborg asked. "An abandoned factory? An underground lair?"

I blinked a few times. Did I really seem that dense? "No…just a house."

"Do you have any powers?" Beast Boy asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"That doesn't mean anything," Cyborg interjected. "Robin doesn't have any powers, either, and Slade was interested in him."

Right. Like Robin and I were on the same level. "But I don't know karate or lethal basket weaving," I protested. "I'm not even that smart—I got a C in algebra. I'm just a normal girl."

"I don't buy it," Robin said. "Slade's got an angle here."

"But dude, he couldn't be back," Beast Boy said. "He got swallowed up in that whole volcano thing."

"I'm not sure if he's back," Robin started, "but he's left more than one trick behind and I refuse to let this one catch me off-guard."

"I don't get what the big deal is," I admitted. "He was just a guy who gave me dinner. Why are you guys so uptight about it?"

"Slade is one of our worst enemies," Starfire explained. "He's tried to destroy the city several times."

That was a bit more evil than I had been anticipating. Bank robber I could have handled. Mad scientist? Possibly. But the destroy-the-city-and-then-the-world type? I never would have guessed that from him. It kind of creeped me out to know that I had been sitting at the same table with someone like that.

Starfire continued, "Do you not recall when his evil robots overtook the city?"

I stared again. Certainly I would remember something like that. "No…I must have been out of town that day."

"It's not just the city," Cyborg added. "He has tried to destroy _us_ several times. And he's got some Darth Vader syndrome that makes him want to make people his apprentices and do his dirty work."

"Yes," Starfire said with a nod. "He did this to Robin."

Robin shot her a glance that told her to say no more about it.

Well, that was interesting. Robin had ended up being the apprentice to their "worst enemy"? He was back with the Titans, so something had made him return from the Dark Side. Still, it must have left scars. No wonder Robin short-circuited when it came to this guy. I wondered what Slade had done to him.

"Robin wasn't the only one," Beast Boy spoke softly. "He did it to Terra, too."

"Who's Terra?" I asked.

"She was killed in an attempt to stop Slade," Starfire said in a hushed tone.

Everyone's eyes fell to the floor for a moment. Okay, so Terra was a bit of a sore spot. Best not to ask about that any time soon.

Robin stood up and leaned on the table. "This is why it's very, very important that you tell us everything you know."

"I did!" I said, exasperated. I wished that I hadn't said a damn thing about recognizing the face. Why had I opened my mouth? Certainly seeing someone that you knew on the Teen Titan's giant screen couldn't ever be a good thing.

"You said that he invited you to come back," Cyborg spoke, interrupting my thoughts. He subtly pushed Robin back into his chair. "Did you ever go?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Why not?"

Geez, first they wanted to know why I had gone and now they wanted to know why I hadn't gone. I was getting a headache. Still, this question had an easy answer.

"Because I died," I snapped irritably.

"You died?" Cyborg echoed. "How long before…your passing…did this meeting with Slade happen?"

If only I'd known that there would be a quiz. I searched my memories, but I didn't have to search very long. The blood drained from my face when I reached my answer. "Three days," I murmured. "But that's just a coincidence, right?" I searched each Titan's face for the answer.

Robin's expression was grim. "I really, _really_ doubt it."

"So all this happened about two years ago?" Cyborg asked. I nodded and he continued, "So it was all before Terra took Slade down in the volcano, which means that whatever Slade was planning probably died with him."

"I'm not taking that chance," Robin snapped. "The fact that we have a ghost in our midst who _became_ a ghost three days after meeting Slade is reason enough for me to want to check this out. I want to make sure I'm on top of everything that Slade planned—even if he is gone."

"Do you remember where his place was?" Beast Boy asked.

I hesitated, then nodded.

"Good," Robin said. "Tell us where it is."

"No," I snapped. Everyone turned to look at me—some with confused looks, some with angry ones. "I get to go with you," I clarified.

"I don't think so," Robin replied. "We don't know what we'll run into. You almost got yourself killed the last time we took you outside."

"Don't exaggerate. Everything worked out fine," I returned.

"You're not coming with us," he repeated. "Just tell us the location."

"Over my dead body," I retorted, truly appreciating the corny phrase at that moment. "If there's something to see there, then I intend to be right there seeing it."

"You're a liability!" he snapped.

"And you're not going to get anywhere without me, so you might as well get used to the idea."

"Uh, I hate to break this up," Cyborg interjected, "but we may need her once we get out there."

I didn't know exactly why they'd need me, but I wasn't going to argue since he was apparently on my side.

It was obvious that Robin was gritting his teeth. "Fine." He jumped to his feet and everyone else followed suit. "Titans!" he shouted. "Let's go!"

They all dashed and flew for the door, but I remained where I was. They seemed to notice this at the same moment, and stopped and turned toward me.

"Are you going to join us?" Robin asked irritably.

"Yes." I held up my handcuffed wrists. "After these things disappear for good."

He stormed over to me, quickly unlocking the cuffs. "Is that better?"

I massaged my wrists, giving him a smile so sweet that it would have made Shirley Temple throw up. "Yes."

"Titans!" he shouted again. "Let's go!"

We all ran for the door. This time I followed.

We had to take the T-Car again, much to Robin's chagrin. I guess they don't use it that much, but were at a slight disadvantage because I couldn't fly. Beast Boy offered to change into a pterodactyl and carry me, but I politely declined.

Everyone was pretty quiet on the way over. The tension in the car was thick. The roads were empty due to the early hour, illuminated by the overhead streetlights. The sky was still dark—the sun would probably be coming up within an hour.

I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt, glancing at the finger-shaped bruises that had been left on my arm by Robin's insistent questioning. They were dark enough that I didn't even need a lot of light to see them.

I thought that I'd been making a connection with the Boy Wonder. He was supposed to be one of the good guys—the _leader_ of this team of white hats. And yet he wasn't any better off than my step-dad. He hadn't hit me, but if Cyborg hadn't walked in when he did…

I pulled my sleeve back down.

Screw them all. I'd tried to do the right thing, and this is what fate had dished out to me. Raving lunatics. I was done with it. First chance I got, I was gone.

I led the Titans to some old suburbs on the outskirts of town. The neighborhood pretty much had been the origin of Jump City. The houses were extremely similar, but not quite as cookie-cuttered as the ones that are built these days. Back in their day, the homes probably made up a beautiful area, showing off their beautiful paint jobs and well-landscaped front yards. But time had passed and now the homes were run down, their paint faded and chipped and the yards nothing but dirt and weeds.

There were more streets than I remembered, and Cyborg had to drive down several of them before I found the right one. The darkness didn't help, and the sky was just beginning to lighten by the time I recognized anything.

The house had changed dramatically in the past two years. Every window was broken and now boarded up; even the door was boarded up. Weeds overran the yard, standing as high as my knees in some places. A large red "X" had been spray painted next to the front door, signaling that the house was on the list to demolitioned. Fortunately, I had remembered the house number—17—my age when I had visited it.

"Are you sure this is it?" Robin asked after we all climbed out of the T-Car.

"Yes," I said with a nod. I glanced down the street, wondering how far I could get before the Titans caught up with me.

"Doesn't exactly look like his normal base of operations, does it?" Cyborg commented.

Starfire flew up to the front door, grabbing the wood paneling and ripping it off—nails and all—with her bare hands. I had to admit that I was impressed.

Beast Boy transformed into a barn owl and immediately flew into the dark house. Robin and Starfire quickly followed, with Robin brandishing a flashlight and Starfire using her powers to illuminate her hand.

"Take this, Morgan," Cyborg said, turning and placing a flashlight in my hand. "Stay close, okay?"

He waited for me to go inside, then followed close behind. I turned on the flashlight, sending the beam across the room.

When I had last been there, the living room had been mildly decorated in ugly furniture that looked like it belonged to an old lady. Now the only thing left behind was the green-and-gold shag carpeting, which had been ripped up in several places. Graffiti splattered across the walls, and I wondered what kind of things had been happening in this house.

I continued into the kitchen, running the flashlight around the room. This had been the place where I had eaten soup with an alleged madman. Again, I remembered it having an old-lady flair, but now all of that was gone. The fridge was toppled over; the stove looked like something inside of it had exploded and blown the oven door away. Chunks of the ceiling now lay crumbled on the floor, ensuring that we would all die of asbestos poisoning. More graffiti decorated the walls. A half-eaten mouse rested in a trap in the corner.

Creepy, yes. But not exactly what I would picture for an evil guy with delusions of grandeur.

I heard a noise, and I pointed my flashlight into an open doorway just to see two large owl eyes shining back at me. The owl flapped his wings overhead, stirring up cobwebs and dust.

I sneezed.

The owl changed back into Beast Boy and he landed on the ground. "I checked the basement," he said as Starfire and Robin also appeared from various rooms. "There's nothing there."

"I also did not find anything in the bedrooms," Starfire said.

"If Slade was ever here," Robin started grimly, "it doesn't look like he left anything behind. This place is empty."

"Wait," Cyborg said, staring back at the doorway that Beast Boy had just flown through. "My eye is picking up some kind of low-level heat signature down there." He checked the display on his forearm. "Very low-level."

"Let's check it out," Robin said. The others fell in behind him and they headed down stairway.

I glanced behind me. Now was my chance to leave. No one was paying attention to me. I'd have a few minutes' head start. I probably could even steal the T-Car.

_Run!_ I told myself.

My legs didn't move.

I glanced back down the stairwell. Something seemed to be pulling me in that direction. I needed to know what was down there.

Aiming my flashlight in front of me, I quickly descended the old wooden stairs, stopping on the last step. Something down here was making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

The Titans stood along the far wall, discussing amongst themselves.

"It's coming from here," Cyborg was saying. "From this wall."

Robin held up his flashlight and ran his gloved fingers across the brick. "This isn't the same stuff the rest of the house is made of. It's newer—a lot newer. But it's made to look just as old as everything else." He exchanged glances with Cyborg. "Let's see what's behind it."

Cyborg stepped forward, suddenly raising his arm and slamming his fist into the brick wall. The wall gave way under his strength, leaving a small hole. A cool wave of air rushed out of the hole and brushed past me as it escaped up the stairs. He gripped the edges, prying the brick out toward him, where it crashed to the floor and crumbled into rubble.

It was dark, but I knew that there was something back there.

Robin and I aimed our flashlights into the hole. I could see machinery and computers, but nothing that I recognized. It looked like the room went back a good 15 feet and was still as wide as the basement.

Beast Boy changed back into his owl form, perching on some jagged remnants of the brick wall as he scanned inside the room. Robin clambered in through the gap; I quickly rushed over to follow him. Beast Boy flew overhead into the room.

It felt like entering a meat locker. I pulled my arms against me, only letting my flashlight peek out to scan the room. Now I could see a glistening sheen of frost on everything—even on the floor, which pretty much ensured that I would end up slipping and breaking my neck.

"You detected heat in _this_?" I questioned incredulously, repressing a shiver.

"I still am," Cyborg responded.

Robin stood by one of the large machines, looking it over with his light. "This one's a generator," he said. "Pretty state-of-the-art. I can barely tell it's running. It's probably what you're picking up."

Cyborg joined Robin, looking over the control panel and typing a few codes into it.

I meandered past the pair, keeping my flashlight on the ground to avoid falling.

"Guys, we need to talk!" Beast Boy said behind me. I turned, seeing him in human form again, standing by the others. Then he turned toward me, giving a somewhat sheepish look. "Morgan, would you mind letting us have a minute?"

My anger flared up again. Now they wanted to have an exclusive little club meeting. I was getting tired of this.

Robin pointed his flashlight toward me, aiming it right into my eyes. I squinted, trying futilely to see around it.

"Sure," I grumbled.

"Hey," Cyborg chimed in, "I think I found the controls for the lights."

"Wait!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Don't!"

It was too late. Cyborg activated the controls, flooding the little room with sterile fluorescent lighting.

It only took a second for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. Then I saw the shocked looks on Robin's and Starfire's faces—and the concerned look on Beast Boy's.

I spun around. Standing against the wall in the back left corner were seven frost-laced tubes running from the floor to the ceiling. Each one held some sort of pale blue liquid, which was now illuminated like giant fish tanks. And inside of each tube, floating inside liquid space, was a body.

Some part of me knew what I was going to see. And yet I still felt completely unprepared when I gazed into the nearest tube and saw my body suspended in the tube right in front of me.

I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. My flashlight fell to the floor and rolled away.

"I didn't want you to see," Beast Boy spoke quietly.

I was suddenly oblivious to everything around me. I stepped up to the tubes cautiously, my eyes locked on the figure inside. I wore a flowing white dress that began to spaghetti straps and ended just above my knees. My appearance had actually improved; I had gained weight and now looked svelte and healthy instead of narcotically emaciated. My eyes were closed and it almost appeared that I was sleeping—except that I was _deathly _still.

It was me, but it wasn't. More accurately, it _used_ to be me.

I had not given a second thought to the whereabouts of my body since I had left it in the alleyway two years ago. But suddenly, I was bombarded with questions in my head. How had my body ended up here? Why was it here in the first place? What was this place?

My eyes drifted across the other cylinders, taking in the other residents. Five boys. One girl. All appearing as eerie as my body.

"What are those things they're in?" Cyborg asked, leaving the computer and joining us in the corner. "I've never seen anything that looked like that."

"I have," Robin said dourly. "It's a cryogenic chamber designed to keep the person inside in perfect stasis."

Stasis? So I was like one of those little fetus babies in a jar of formaldehyde? Had my body been donated to science?

No…it was too much of a coincidence that my body had ended up here—the same place that I had visited just days before I died. And legit places don't brick in their experiments in the basement of old houses.

The whole place suddenly reeked of death, even though I hadn't been aware of it before. A wave of nausea washed over me.

"Hey," Robin said, setting his hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I turned around to face him, putting the macabre sight to my back as I brushed his hand away. "I don't know," I murmured. It was as if I could still feel the bodies watching me. I suddenly felt very lightheaded; bile rose in my throat. Little black dots began to swim in my field of vision.

I was going to faint.

I stumbled back toward the gap in the wall, leaning on the bricks to steady myself while the blood flow returned to my head. Starfire stepped up next to me to help, but I waved her away. I began to climb back through the opening.

"I just need some air," I mumbled to anyone that was paying attention.

I staggered over the brick debris, and then ran up the staircase back into the kitchen. I couldn't see anything without my flashlight. I held my hands out blindly and moved as quickly as I could, stumbling across the floor. Then I dashed out the front door. My legs gave out at that point. I sat down on the front step, folded my arms across my knees, and buried my face.

I didn't understand anything that I had just seen—my mind couldn't comprehend any of it. All I knew was that it was wrong. My body was supposed to be in the ground, in a landfill, or in a fiery furnace. It wasn't supposed to be in a cryowhatzit in a hidden room of an abandoned house.

And my death hadn't been natural—I was sure of that now. The fabric of my life had been messed with. That thought left me with a dirty feeling. Why were people always tampering with my life? Why couldn't they just leave me alone?

"Morgan?" I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Beast Boy standing behind me. I also didn't say anything in return. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I don't really feel like talking right now," I said, speaking into my folded arms.

For a moment, I didn't hear anything. Maybe he'd left as quietly as he had come. Then I felt something brush up against my elbow. I peeked out of the corner of my eye, seeing a large, green sheepdog sitting next to me.

Something about that was extremely sweet—him being there but not pressuring me to talk or anything like that.

Then I leaned my weight on the dog, buried my face in his fur, and began to cry.


	9. Revelations

A/N:

I hate to do this, but this chapter will need a not-so-standard disclaimer. There is some subject material in this chapter that has been in the news a lot lately, and has been a hotly debated topic. _Please_ do not take offense by the discussion in this chapter. The words have absolutely nothing to do with the situation that has been in the news or any other persons, living or dead. I tried to do this simply from Morgan's point-of-view. I don't have an agenda. I can take flames, but don't bother to flame me on thepoliticalness ofthis chapter--_it's just a story!_

* * *

It took a lot of work, but the Titans eventually were able to move everything out of the basement, setting it all up in one of the many empty rooms in the tower. I respectfully declined to be a part of this process, knowing that I wasn't quite ready to see those chamber-things again. Instead, I locked myself in Raven's room.

The others tried to lure me out on occasion, but I wasn't having any of it. I was upset and in denial, and I was content to keep these emotions to myself. Beast Boy told me (through the door) that Cyborg had found a lot of data in the computer and was trying to piece it all together to make sense of what had been happening. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to know. But I knew I couldn't stay in there forever. I'd insisted that the Titans stop keeping me as a prisoner only to make a prisoner out of myself. And I knew that I couldn't hide—that I would have to face the inevitable. Plus I was getting really hungry. After three days, I decided to sneak down to get some food.

It was 3:30 in the morning when I opened my door and crept out into the hallway. The tower was dark and quiet, but I now knew better than to assume that everyone was asleep.

I reached the common room with no distractions, and headed over to the cupboards to look for food, stopping short at the counter. A full plate of fresh Krispity Krunch Squares sat waiting for me.

I smiled softly. It was extremely thoughtful of whomever to do this for me. Sugar wasn't what my body wanted, but it was what my head wanted. I needed the comfort food.

I quickly ate one of the treats, my mouth watering before it even reached my lips. Then I grabbed another and began to eat it at a much slower pace. My mind was already drifting away from food and on to other matters. I knew where I needed to go. I needed to stop hiding.

I shuffled off down the hallway, hesitating outside the door to the makeshift laboratory. After a deep breath, I pushed the door open a couple of inches and peered inside. A gust of cool air rushed out toward me.

The lights were off, but the cryo-chambers were emitting that creepy fish-tank glow. I didn't see anyone inside, so I went inside, shutting the door behind me.

The room was cool, but not the same freezer temperature that it had been at the old house. The computer and generators stood around the side walls; the fluid-filled tubes lined the back wall.

I slowly approached the set of chambers. I could see that my body had been placed at the far end. Good. No point in rushing to face that again.

I forced myself to look inside the tubes as I passed them. Caucasian, African-American, Asian…all were represented in the small group. Slade had not discriminated in choosing his subjects. All of the subjects wore white scrub-like clothing, except for me.

Suddenly I stopped, counting the tubes. There were only six total. Hadn't there been seven at the house?

The girl. Where was the other girl?

I glanced side-to-side, trying to see if she had been placed somewhere else.

"She's not here," came a voice from behind.

I spun around, seeing Robin standing by the door. I hadn't heard him come inside. Damn, he was stealthy.

Just seeing him ruffled my feathers, though. "I should have known it would be you who would sneak up on me," I muttered. "Are you the only one around here who doesn't need a recharge?"

"I sleep," he replied.

"Yeah, sure you do," I responded dismissively. "So what did you mean by 'she's not here'? Who's not here?"

"The other girl," he said, coming up to stand beside me. "She's not here." His voice became quiet. "She was dead."

I stared at him like he was a grade-A moron. "No shit," I said a tone that matched my expression.

"You don't understand," he said. "Cyborg was able to retrieve an archive full of data on what was going on here. He spent over a day just going through it all. We've learned so much and wanted to share it with you, but you wouldn't come out of your room. We thought it best to wait until you were ready."

"How thoughtful," I said coldly.

"I've got all the info right here." He held a CD between his index and middle fingers. "Cyborg pulled out the parts that you thought would be interesting. Would you like to read it?"

I gazed at the CD for a moment, then looked back at Robin. "Can't you just give me the _Reader's Digest_ version?"

"Is that really what you want?"

As I thought about it, I realized that _wasn't_ what I wanted at all. I wanted to read about the details from the source. But it pissed me off that Robin could sense that. I snatched the CD from his fingers, and he pointed me over to a computer terminal where I could insert the disc. I marched over to the computer, sliding the CD into it.

It took a moment for the computer to read the data, and I found myself growing nervous. Ignorance was bliss, right? Why was I ridding myself of ignorance?

"There was a lot of notes concerning chemical compounds and model numbers and the other kids," Robin added. "I had Cyborg trim it down to the stuff that just pertains to you."

I nodded in understanding as the display flashed to life, text filling the page. "Was all this written by Slade?" I asked.

"It doesn't say," he responded. "We assume so."

I took a breath, and began to read out loud:

_"'I finally have the means and contacts to begin human trials of my life extending serum. While my trials with rats have been extremely successful, I must know the side effects on humans before I dare to test it myself. I have chosen teenage runaways as my test subjects because they are less traceable than other virile demographics. As the previous studies have revealed, a subject's body can be void of life, yet the mind can still be active. I am hoping to be able to reanimate the subjects, as was done with the rats, or to discover some way to transfer the consciousness into another body.'"_

So there it was. The master plan. Slade was trying to find a way to bring himself back from the dead. I guess that was a necessity for all villains with hero nemeses.

There was a break in the text before the next paragraph.

_"'Subject H-4 was introduced today. Subject is of Caucasian decent, approximately 17 years of age, 5 feet and 11 inches in height, and 125 pounds in weight.'_

_"'Subject H-4 was given 10 ccs of the appropriate serum. As with the other subjects, it was ingested orally while mixed with soup. Based on my calculations and past experimentation, H-4's body should stop functioning within 84-96 hours of ingestion. I have verified that the tracker is in place so that I may locate her body at the appropriate time.'_

"Subject H-4?" I repeated, glancing over at Robin. He was standing in front of the tanks, gazing in at the occupants. "Is that me?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "He developed a designation system so that he could keep track of you. The letter indicates what version of the serum you were receiving; then he numbered each trial in that version."

My eyes widened as I realized what that meant—I hadn't been the first by any means. Goosebumps were running up and down my arms.

"There were others," Robin said, vocalizing my thoughts. "_Lots _of others."

"How many?"

"You sure you want to—?"

"How—many?" I interrupted sternly. "More than 50?"

He hesitated, then nodded. 'Yes."

My stomach dropped. Fifty. That was two school classes worth of teenagers…just gone. "But why didn't anyone notice?" I asked, knowing the answer as soon as the question had passed my lips. Slade had picked his victims carefully—zeroing in on the ones who were so angry and headstrong that they made sure that no one could track them down and send them home. Like me.

"Maybe someone would have if he had concentrated in one area. But he went all over—not just in Jump City. Some of his victims were 500 miles away from here."

My eyes drifted back to the screen and I continued.

_"'Scans indicate that Subject H-4's body temperature began to fall at 12:13 am this morning. This was only 77 hours after ingestion of the serum. Subject's low body weight may have caused unforeseen side effects that affected the time schedule. I monitored the body until 2:30 am; body was retrieved at 3:27 am. H-4 was washed and attired and was sealed in chamber nine at 5:55 am. The machinery is now operating as H-4's heart and lungs. This will keep the subject's body in good condition until all life functions are restored.'"_

The nausea rose in my throat again. The details of my death were right there, laid out in a neat and tidy paragraph. And he had _washed and attired_ me. What else had he done that he hadn't bothered to write about? God, I was going to be sick.

I decided to keep reading so my mind wouldn't dwell on that.

_"'Subject H-4's response has been better than I planned. H-4's brainwave readings are typically detected around 7 to 8 hertz, which is several cycles higher than any previous surviving subject.'"_

There was another break in the text.

_"'I now have eight subjects in the cryogenic chambers designed by Doctor Victor Fries: C-6, D-12, F-6, F-7, G-4, G-9, H-4, and I-5. I have decided to not introduce any more subjects until I can fully understand why these eight have survived all processes and find a way to duplicate the procedure at will. I also have yet to determine a method to restore all life functions to the body. Four subjects have been lost in recent attempts (see Subjects D-5, G-3, G-5, and H-1).'"_

Eight subjects left. Which meant that he lost another one even before we came along.

_"'I am postponing all experimentation. Recent developments have required my attention elsewhere. I will be storing all my research on many redundant systems. Self-generating power sources will sustain the cryogenic chambers, where my subjects should be preserved until I can return to them. I am having them keep the room in perpetual cold, which I believe will be less taxing on the subjects. I probably should have all chambers and subjects destroyed, but I do not wish to take these drastic steps when I have come so far in my research. All mentions of my name and my associates have been removed from these records in case these things are found by another party.'"_

That was it. Nothing else.

"Wh-what happened?" I stammered. "Where did he go?"

Robin didn't seem happy about answering my question. "Based on the date, it was around the time when he began to get really interested in the Teen Titans."

"You mean he began to get really interested in you," I clarified.

"Not just me," he returned defensively. "Terra, too."

"Oh yes, excuse me," I drawled, getting up and strolling over to him. "The point is that he decided to stop playing God and left my body bricked up in a basement so that he could go play master and apprentice with you."

He gaped at me. "Are you blaming _me_ for this?"

He was right, of course. He didn't deserve to be blamed. It was all Slade's fault, and I knew that. But Slade wasn't in the room at that moment.

"Maybe he would have succeeded, you know?" I said. "Maybe if he had stuck to it, I would be alive right now."

"You _are_ alive."

"Does _that_ look alive to you?" I snapped, pointing to my body, but not looking at it. "'Cause I'll bet my life that _thing_ hasn't moved in two years. It doesn't breathe and it doesn't have a heartbeat. It—is—dead."

Robin's brow furrowed. "Hey, calm down. Don't you see? You are alive. You have extremely strong brain activity, which is probably why you're manifested as a ghost. We can figure this out. We have contacts with some of the brightest minds in the world. We can put you back in your body."

"What about the others?"

"We'll help them, too."

"Do you think they've been ghosts, too?" I asked. "Wandering around alone for all this time?"

"I…don't know."

I stepped up the chamber holding my body, gazing inside. The shell should have been worm food, but it looked better than it ever had when I had been behind the eyes.

Go back to my body. And then what? Return to the eighth grade? Get a job and become a productive member of society? There was no way. Mother Nature had already been screwed with when I died; why should we mess with nature again? Did two wrongs make a right?

Of course, was I jumping the gun. They didn't even know _how_ to put me back. It was all theory at this point. It's not like they knew how to expel me from Raven's body. We really hadn't made any progress—except now that we had our own room full of dead people.

Hee hee. 'I see dead people.' It was funny and sick at the same time.

Then I realized something. "Robin," I began, turning toward him. He had been standing next to me, waiting patiently. "If we have brain patterns, then why do we need the machines?"

"You read it in Slade's notes."

"I read that he wanted to keep our bodies in good condition. But why do we need the machines otherwise?"

He let out a slow breath. "Because you'll die without them. The brain can't survive that long without help from the rest of the body. Slade's serum kept the brain damage at bay until he could retrieve your body, but it can't sustain you indefinitely."

"So the other girl died…"

"…Because her cryogenic chamber had failed."

My eyes drifted down to the floor, where I could see a mass of cords running out of the back of each chamber to the generator. "So," I began slowly, "what if someone were to pull the plug?"

I could see the alarm spread across his face. "Morgan, what are you saying?"

"What the _fuck_ do you think I'm saying?" I barked. "What right do you have to make decisions for these people?"

"We're just going to help—"

"What if they don't _want_ to be helped?"

He released a long breath. "Calm down, okay?"

He set his hand on my arm, but I was having none of this physical contact bullshit. The previous bruises still hadn't disappeared. I knocked his hand away.

"Back off, okay?" I mimicked in his tone. "You're so blinded by your hatred of Slade that you won't look at what is best for these people!"

I dove for the cords behind the tank that held my body. Robin's weight slammed into me as he tackled me away. I banged into the base of the neighboring tank, landing on my side with Robin around my legs. I reached my hand back toward the power cords, but he crawled up and grabbed my arms, pinning them down above my head.

"Get off of me!" I yelled, twisting my body in an attempt to get away from him. But he was quick and strong, and I could hardly move. My head began to panic. "NO!" I shouted.

And then it felt like something snapped inside of me—setting something loose that made my blood hot as it immediately spread through every inch of my body.

A loud _crash_ echoed through the room, and suddenly I was being doused with icy liquid and sharp shards of glass. Robin scrambled away from me; I sat up, sputtering for air. Something large hit the floor beside me with a _thud_.

The waterfall stopped and I opened my eyes. I was sitting in a cold puddle of liquid and pieces of glass. Beside me, lying facedown on the floor at an unnatural angle, was a body. I glanced up, seeing that one of the cylinders had essentially exploded from the inside, dumping all of its contents out on top of us. _All_ of its contents.

What on earth had happened?

Robin jumped up, flipping the boy's body over onto its back. He leaned his head down near the boy's mouth, trying to feel for a breath on his cheek as he gazed at the boy's chest. Then he felt for a pulse. I knew from his expression that he wasn't finding either one.

He pinched the boy's nose, then leaned over and gave to long rescue breaths. "Help me," he snapped as he locked his arms above the boy and began to deliver chest compressions.

"No," I said angrily.

Robin was obviously livid about my response. He pulled out his communicator, barking at the other Titans to come down and assist him.

I rose to my feet, my limbs feeling like gelatin and my teeth chattering violently. My mind swirled. I should have wanted to help him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't help but feel that what had happened—however it had happened—was justified.

I just wished that it was my body on the floor instead of that boy's.

Hmm. I wonder what would happen if my body finally died. Would that allow me to move on with my afterlife? Would it kick me out of Raven's body?

I crouched in front of the control panel at the base of the cryogenic chamber that held my body. I could see all kinds of flashing lights and moving lines, which were monitoring all of the systems inside. It couldn't be too hard to shut down, could it?

I glanced over my shoulder at Robin, who was counting out loud as he delivered his chest compressions. He wasn't paying any attention to me at all any more. I could actually go right for the power cord as I had originally planned.

So that's what I did. I reach my fingers back and yanked the cord out of the power socket. The internal light switched off; the control panel went dark.

For a moment, there was no change.

And then my chest began to burn. Within milliseconds it felt like my chest was on fire. My lungs screamed for oxygen, and every breath I took did nothing to ease the pain. My limbs grew heavy.

The door opened and the other Titans came into the room, responding to Robin's call. The lights overhead suddenly illuminated the room. Cyborg and Starfire immediately ran to Robin's aid. I could see Beast Boy glancing over at me.

People were talking, but it sounded very far away and echo-y, like they were at the end of a tunnel. Dots appeared in front of my eyes, steadily becoming more and more dense. Then I felt a sharp pain in my head.

My vision suddenly cleared, and I was standing in a black room. No, not really a room, but a void. It was like standing in space, but with no stars, no planets…nothing. Just blackness. It felt like ground was under my feet, but I couldn't see it. The same emptiness was all around me. But the pain in my chest and veins remained, worse than ever.

And then I realized that they were _my_ feet underneath me.

"Who are you?" asked a low voice behind me.

I spun around, coming face-to-face with Raven. Her eyes held a steady gaze, as if she was willing to give me a chance to explain myself but would vaporize me if I said the wrong thing.

"I'm Morgan," I replied.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. I now understood what Robin had meant when he said that Raven had a "dispassionate" voice. It did seem to be rather unique, but not at all unpleasant.

"I'm…not sure," I admitted, trying to rub my chest in an attempt to ebb the burning pain, but finding my hands very uncoordinated. I fell to my knees, talking to Raven through gritted teeth, "But I think it has something to do with the fact that you and I are in the same body."

Shock ran across her face. "What?"

"Yeah," I grimaced. "You did a spell that joined us together."

"So why don't you _un_-join us?" she asked.

"Do I _look_ like I would know the first thing about how to do that?"

She was quiet, watching me with a frown on her face. "Are you feeling all right?"

Sarcasm threatened to overflow from my mouth, but I was in too much pain to actually say most of them. "Just dandy," I moaned.

She knelt down beside me. But then her eyelids began to droop, and her body swayed a little bit. She looked a little bit like a toddler that was way overdue for his nap.

"Are_ you_ okay?" I asked.

"What's…happening?" she murmured, shaking her head in an attempt to shake off the sleepy feeling.

The pain in my chest and veins suddenly dissipated. Everything felt strong and perfect again. My hands patted down my chest. No pain at all.

Then I realized what was happening. This was just a vision—a meeting with Raven in the back of my mind as I teetered near death. But the Titans must have been close to reviving me. I was going to wake up, and Raven was going to slip into the background again.

"Raven," I began, "Do you know of a way to separate us?"

She collapsed, and I dove to catch her. Her head lolled around and her eyes didn't open. I gently helped her to lie on the ground.

"Raven!" I shouted, shaking her. Her eyelids opened a little bit, but her eyes were rolled up into her head. "If you know of a way to fix this, you need to tell me.

Her lips parted and moved a bit, as if she was trying to make noise but was just too tired. "Assss…" she said.

I stared at her. Certainly she wasn't saying what it sounded like. I shook her again. "Come on!"

"Azzzerrrath," she slurred. "Metreee'nnn…"

She stopped. I shook her more, but it didn't help. She was asleep.

A flash of light surrounded me, and suddenly I found myself on the floor of the laboratory, gazing up at the concerned—and yet somewhat pissed off—faces of the Teen Titans.

"How are you feeling?" Starfire asked as she helped me sit up.

I glanced back at the chamber that held my body. Its lights and control panel were functioning again. Looks like they'd managed to plug me back in.

I could see the form of the boy that had been expelled from his cryo-chamber lying where he had been before, a sheet covering his body. Obviously they had been unable to save him.

"We should have taken your body out of it's cryo-chamber and put _his_ in," Robin snapped.

I turned, staring back obstinately. "Then why didn't you?"

He didn't answer, so I looked at the others. Cyborg was the one that answered, "Because you were dying. We couldn't let you and Raven die."

"Actually, you were getting Raven back," I said, rising to my feet. "_I_ was dying, but she wasn't."

"How have you gained this knowledge?" Starfire asked.

"I saw Raven," I said. "We spoke. I asked her if she knew of a way for us to be separated again."

"What did she say?" Robin questioned.

"Some gobble-dee-gook," I said. "Azzzerrrath Metree—"

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos," the others chimed together.

"Oh, you've heard of it."

"Dude, it's, like, the _only_ thing she says," Beast Boy droned.

"It's how she uses her powers," Cyborg explained.

Good information, I guess. But I wasn't sure how it was going to help me.

"I should take you to jail, you know," Robin said, "for killing that boy."

My eyes wandered back over to the sheet; my blood began to boil again in my veins. "Then why don't you?" I asked irritably. "God, the way you act… You make it sound like I'm _glad_ things are this way. But you know what? I would be more than happy to switch places with that boy—to be really, truly dead. No more of this ghostly wandering or body sharing. I just want to be done with it all! I'm so sick of this—this _bullshit_!"

As soon as the last word was out, one of the florescent lights overhead exploded, letting out a loud _bang!_ as it showered glass down on us.

I covered my head with my hands and lowered my eyes to avoid the glass. "What is going on?" I screamed.

"I'm going out on a limb here," Cyborg began, "but I'm guessing that you've tapped into Raven's powers."

Suddenly I didn't have anything to say.


	10. Inside

A/N: I know--it's been a long time. I have thought about this story _every single day_ for the past five months. I had veered from my original storyline over the past few chapters, and I had to figure out what exactly I was going to do from this point forward. Plus the longer I went without writing, the harder it was for me to sit down and write. And so I'm posting this short chapter in the hopes that I still have some readers out there and that I can become motivated again. I still love this story and the Teen Titans, and I really want to finish it. I'm determined to not let this be one of those unfinished stories. Thanks everyone!

* * *

Azarath Metrion Zinthos.

What on earth did that mean, anyway? Was it Latin? It didn't really sound Latin, but I was certainly no judge.

I polished off my grilled cheese sandwich, and then put my dirty dishes into the sink. I turned on the water, watching it run over my plate and wash the crumbs away. Maybe saying those words would make the dishes suddenly clean.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," I said.

Nothing.

I concentrated harder. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Nope.

Maybe I needed a magic wand.

"Morgan?" came a voice from behind. I turned my head, watching Cyborg as he came down the stairs.

"Hi," I responded as I turned off the water faucet. I had been wondering which of the Titans would be the first to come to greet me after my hasty exit from the make-shift laboratory, but I honestly hadn't put my money on Cyborg.

"I have something that I think you'd like to see," he said, heading over the giant screen on the other side of the room.

"No offense," I began, "but I'm not sure you guys are the best judges on what I would like to see right now."

"Trust me—this one is pretty interesting," he said. He pressed a few keys on the control panel, and the screen lit up.

The image was from a security camera—the one in the laboratory, I quickly realized. Robin and me-in-Raven's-body stood in front of the cryochambers, our discussion quickly turning into a heated argument. As I watched him set a hand on my shoulder, my anger flared up again.

"Why is he like that?" I wondered out loud.

"What?" Cyborg asked.

"Robin—he all acts like your friend, but the minute you don't agree with him…" I gestured to the screen, where Robin was now tackling me to the floor, "he suddenly is the biggest _dick_."

Cyborg tossed me a glare. "You don't know what you're talking about." I was about to ask what he meant, but then he pointed to the monitor. "This is the part I wanted you to see."

"_Get off me!"_ I was yelling, twisting my body around on the floor. Robin's muscles were tight as he pinned my arms above my head.

My adrenaline was building just from watching the scene. Why on earth had Cyborg decided that I needed to see this?

Then I saw it.

"_NO!"_ the recorded version of me shouted. I could see my body tighten, and inky, black magic enveloped me, shooting into the air. It almost looked like, well, a raven—wings spread wide and beak screeching along with me. The raven slammed into the overhead cryochamber, instantly shattering the glass before it dissipated. The liquid inside of the tube burst out with the glass shards. Robin quickly backed away and I sat up. Then I saw the body of the boy fall out of the chamber and hit the ground beside me; it was so gruesome and disrespectful.

Cyborg backed up the recording until the visage of the raven was in full view, then he let it play again. "Don't you see?" he said.

"Yeah," I said slowly, "but I'm not entirely sure _what_ I'm seeing."

"That's Raven's magic," he returned.

"But how can that be?" I asked, turning toward him. "I didn't do anything—say those magic words or anything!"

"Raven's powers are intertwined with her emotions. You probably let something loose when you got upset."

I remembered the sensation that I'd had—of something snapping inside of me and spreading through my limbs. Maybe he was right. But how was I going to be able to control that?

"Then what's the point of the words?" I asked.

"I ain't gonna lie to ya, Mor," he began. "I don't really understand how it all works. All I know is that the words are the key to focusing her power. But we'll help you figure it out."

I glanced back at the screen, watching as Robin performed CPR on the boy. "Will you help me figure it out before someone else dies?" I asked, looking at Cyborg again.

"We'd better," he said with a shake of his head. "The only reason you're still standing here is because Robin is concerned about you. But if you screw up one more time, he'll probably throw your butt in jail." With that, he turned and walked away.

My eyebrows furrowed, not really understanding what he was saying. I turned toward the monitor.

I was just standing after yanking out the power cord, waiting for something to happen. The other Titans rushed into the room, and the picture flickered a bit as all the overhead lights came on. Cyborg and Starfire ran over to help Robin; Beast Boy remained at the back of the room.

"Robin, what has happened here?" Starfire inquired.

"Morgan, are you okay?" Beast Boy asked. I didn't reply. The others looked over at me. I was swaying and I figured that since I didn't remember any of this that I was already pretty much unconscious.

"Hey, girl," Cyborg prompted. "Say something."

My body suddenly had the fortitude of a wet noodle; I crumpled to the floor in a heap.

"Morgan!" Robin cried out, leaving the body of the boy on the floor and running over to my crumpled form. Beast Boy dashed over, as well.

"Rob—?" Cyborg started.

"Take over!" Robin snapped, not looking back. Cyborg and Starfire exchanged panicked glances, but then Cyborg resumed CPR on the boy.

Beast Boy rolled me over and set his fingers on my neck. "I don't get it!" he exclaimed. "She's still breathing and everything, but her skin is freezing cold."

"It might be shock," Robin said. He leaned over, opening my eyelid so that he could look into my eyes. His expression became even darker. "Except this doesn't look like shock." He took off his cape and draped it over my body. Then he knelt down, propping me up in his arms and holding me tightly against his chest while he vigorously rubbed my arms. I was still gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

I was stunned. It just didn't make sense. Why was he acting like this? I thought he hated me.

"Hey," Beast Boy said. "Her machine is off." He morphed into a little spider monkey, reaching back behind the machines and plugging it back in.

Nothing happened.

The little monkey transformed back into a human. He stared at the control panel. "Uh, it says something about a system restart."

"Cyborg, help Beast Boy," Robin ordered.

Cyborg looked up. "But Starfire doesn't know CPR. We need a defibrill—"

"Then leave him," the black-haired teen barked. "He's dead. And Morgan will be, too, if we don't help her."

I'd seen enough. I stopped the playback and slumped into the nearby chair.

They'd given up on the boy to save me.

For some reason, this made me feel extremely guilty. Yes, I believed that the boy had been dead from the beginning, but the others hadn't felt the same way.

What if the boy had suffered the same way that I had when my machine had been turned off? What if he had been gasping for breath and burning with pain?

No, he was in a better place now. That had to be the truth—whether it was heaven or nothingness. Anything was better than wandering the earth. If that is what he had been doing.

Okay, now I was just thinking in circles.

The main thing that I had to do was get control of this situation by learning how to gain control of my powers. Raven's powers. Whatever.

I hadn't even started doing anything and I already had a headache.

"Morgan? Are you in here?"

I turned around, watching Starfire as she floated into the room. Her arms overflowed with books. "Yeah," I said hesitantly.

She smiled brilliantly at me. "Wonderful! I come bearing many items to help you learn mental focus." She set her armload down on the countertop, continuing to smile.

I slowly walked over to the pile, which seemed even larger now than it had when it had been in her arms. I tentatively sorted through some of the books. _Evolutionary Witchcraft. The Inner Temple: Magick, Meditation, and Psychic Development. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft_. Hmm. And here I'd thought that Raven owned every book on the subject. Obviously I was mistaken.

I also saw a few DVD cases in the mix, and I pulled those out to glance at the covers. _The Haunting of Barney Palmer. The Last Unicorn. The Empire Strikes Back._

I held up the latter case and tossed her confused look. "_Star Wars_?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "I believe that the training of the Sky Walker by the humorous green creature is most appropriate for your situation, as he was also learning to use his mystical power."

I tossed the DVD back into the pile. Maybe she had a point. "Thanks," I said. She smiled and left.

I glanced back at the pile. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point. I had an eighth-grade education and I was supposed to somehow overcome the laws of physics? This was an extremely cruel cosmic joke.

Giving a sigh, I loaded all the books into my arms. There was no point in wasting time.

_

* * *

_

_Ki is an eternal energy. Ki is the color green. It is inside everything, and can be used at a human's will. To use Ki, you must be able to visualize something very well. The key to using Ki is a place called the Hera. The Hera is located inside your body, three inches below your navel. Visualize it as a swirling ball of green energy. This is where you are going to draw your energy. To use Ki, you must visualize drawing energy from your Hera, and projecting it out of your body the way you want it to. The best Ki technique to use for practice is the Ki ball. Visualize the energy in your Hera slowly flowing up your body. Now cup your hands into a ball as if you were holding a baseball. Now visualize your energy going into your arms, and coming out of your palms. Make the energy come out of each hand as a beam. Make the beams swirl around each other into a ball. After a while, you should feel a push in between your hands, a wave, maybe a few sparks, and if you are advanced enough, you can make it visible. This is how you use Ki._

I lowered the book into my lap with an exaggerated sigh. What a load of mumbo-jumbo. I glanced at the author's portrait on the back cover. The woman had long, wavy, red hair and glasses that she wore on the tip of her nose. Apparently she was going for the wise gypsy look. How cliché was that?

On the nearby television, Luke Skywalker was receiving words of wisdom from Yoda. I wasn't really paying attention to it, which made me feel guilty because Cyborg had quickly set up the TV in Raven's room after I had asked him.

Everyone was being supportive and helpful, but no one knew the key to really helping me unlock my powers. That was the most frustrating thing of all. I'd been reading all night and didn't feel like I was making any sort of progress.

I imagined a green ball of Ki in my abdomen, having it flow down my arms. I looked at the messy pile of books on the floor beside me. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," I said.

Nothing. I don't even think that the dust moved.

I slumped a bit. To be honest, I think I was caught in a mental trap somewhere between not believing that it was possible for me to master the powers and being afraid of what might happen if I did.

Suddenly, the red lights flashed overhead and the alarm klaxon pierced the air. I jumped to my feet, adrenaline rapidly coursing through my body. I darted for the door, stopping before I opened it.

Shoes.

I whirled back around, my eyes scanning the floor. There they were—by the bed. I grabbed them and sat on the bed, pulling them on and quickly lacing them.

The alarm stopped, and I heard a noise outside. I scrambled over to the window. Down below, the Titans were leaving the tower—Robin on his cycle, Beast Boy flying in the form of an eagle, and Starfire carrying Cyborg.

They'd left without me!

I then berated myself for being surprised that they had gone. Of course they had left me. I didn't actually have the ability to help them—I was just a liability.

But then again, how was I supposed to gain any experience without the hands-on training?

With hardly another thought, I spun on my heel and ran out my bedroom door.


	11. Awakening

A/N: I don't believe it! I still have readers after all this time! Thank you so much for sticking with me through this. I'm becoming more diligent about my writing again, all because of you.

* * *

It took me a while to figure out the settings on the T-Car. After all, there were a lot of buttons and switches and flashy things. And there was the small fact that I'd never driven a car before. But after some trial and error, I managed to figure out how to make the car drive me to the other Titans on some automatic pilot setting.

The Titans were still on the move, and based on the strange patterns that they were taking, I could only guess that they were chasing someone. The T-Car never lost track of their signals, though.

Then I saw Cyborg and Robin up ahead of me, standing in the middle of the street. I slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car, yet stayed near it while I assessed what was happening.

A streak of green rained down from the sky, which I recognized as one of Starfire's starbolts. It hit the ground, and I could see the shower of asphalt that it sent airborne. Once the dust cleared, I saw their target. Based on the other fights I had witnessed, I had expected it to be some kind of large monster. However, this was just a couple of teenagers. One was a guy with spiky white hair and an awful orange jumpsuit. The other was a black-haired girl who wore black pants and a black hoodie. They both had the punk look, with both of them sporting lots of piercings, a tattoo here and there, and a lot of heavy makeup. Each of them carried a semi-large sack that bulged at all sorts of odd angles. Money. The boy also had what looked like an electric guitar strapped around his torso.

The boy dragged the very resistant girl behind him into another direction, but another starbolt swooped out of the sky and cut them off. The girl dropped her sack and stumbled, but he wrenched her back to her feet and reached for the bag.

"Surrender, Punk!" Robin shouted at the pair. "We've got you surrounded."

The girl looked terrified, but the boy only gave a creepy smile. "You may have unplugged Punk Rocket," he said in a British accent, "but I brought along my own backup singer." He turned to his companion. "Do it, Harm," he said.

She tossed him an angry glare, shaking her head emphatically.

"Do it!" he said, obviously pissed off by her response. He jabbed her with one of his bony elbows.

The girl continued to do nothing. I was actually getting a bit nervous. What was he going to have her do?

Beast Boy, in the form of a massive gorilla, suddenly appeared up the street, charging at top speed. Cyborg raised his sonic cannon. The girl tried to make a break for it, but Punk Rocket held her tight.

"Do it!" Punk Rocket yelled again.

Cyborg fired his cannon. The gorilla was almost to them.

"DO IT!" Punk screamed, the veins bulging in his forehead and neck. He raised his hand, and for a moment I thought he was going to slap her. Instead, he reached over to his companion and ripped out the ring in her bottom lip.

Blood sprayed from the wound nanoseconds before she screamed.

The air cracked with a sonic boom as the sound waves blew around us. Beast Boy was thrown back up the street by the force of the noise. Cyborg's cannon shot was blown off course, and it headed straight for Starfire, who flew out of the way just in time. Every window around us exploded like fireworks and every car alarm squealed. I hit the ground, covering my head with my hands and squeezing my eyes tight, feeling the shower of glass rain down over me.

Her insane scream continued, drilling into my head. I clapped my hands over my ears, but it didn't really help. My ear drums were going to burst—I just knew it.

As soon as the shards stopped falling, I peered up, keeping my hands tight against the sides of my head. Robin and Cyborg had also been on the ground, but were now getting up. Robin, blood trickling out of his ear, launched a birdarang, but it broke apart under the pressure of the sound waves before it reached the criminals. Cyborg had his arm panel open, and it lit up and flashed like a Christmas tree. He still trained his canon on the girl and fired; the shot visibly wavered and slowed before dissipating. I couldn't see Beast Boy or Starfire anywhere.

The girl continued to scream. How long could she keep this up? Wasn't she going to run out of breath?

I couldn't think any more. The noise drowned every thought in my head. I'd try to think of a plan, of something I could do, but I couldn't concentrate past the sound. Everything became muddled. Frustration. Pain. Anger. It built inside of me, hot and potent.

My Ki.

Suddenly I could only think of one thing.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" I shouted. My entire existence focused on the words. And the power flowed out of me.

The magic swooped overhead before dropping down around the criminal pair like an inky net. The girl's shrieking was encased inside my black bubble, and although the world was far from quiet with all of the alarms and dogs barking and various other sounds, it all seemed hushed in comparison.

The strange thing is that I felt connected to the magic, like it was simply an extra hand that I could move or control with a thought. I could sense my body drawing in energy from everything all around me to feed my magic. I was connected to everything—every person, rock, and car. Maybe Yoda hadn't been too far off when teaching Luke Skywalker.

I stepped up the street toward the others, the glass from the shattered windows crunching under my sneakers. I could feel the vibrations of the girl's screams beating against the inside of my magic bubble, but not a single sound wave escaped. Punk Rocket ran up to the wall, slamming his guitar against it, which broke in half.

"Morgan!" Cyborg exclaimed, rushing to my side. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping," I said simply.

Beast Boy, who had taken the form of an earless snake, slithered up the street. He returned to his human form. "Nice job!" he praised me. I couldn't help but smile.

The girl finally stopped screaming. Black, makeup-filled tears streaked her face. She marched over to Punk Rocket and slapped him before shouting at him, spitting blood with her words. They began to exchange words, but we couldn't hear any of it.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Robin asked me curtly.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I knew that it would just give him more reason to get on my case. "Sure, it's just like advanced calculus."

His look told me that he didn't appreciate my comment. "I'm serious."

"I'm fine," I responded just as seriously.

"How will we proceed?" Starfire asked as she landed beside us all.

They began to talk amongst themselves, but I tuned out of the conversation. I marveled at what I had been able to do and how easily it had come once I had been able to tap into my surroundings and draw it out.

And then, like the cartoon cliché, a lightbulb turned on in my head. I knew how to put myself back in my body. I _knew_.

"Guys!" I exclaimed, whirling around and interrupting the others. "Let's wrap this up and go home. I've had an epiphany."

* * *

The room was dark and quiet. The Titans remained in the back of the room, but I couldn't even hear them breathe. I knew they were apprehensive about me trying this so soon. If only they could see things as clearly as I did in my head. I had a full-color map with every detail planned out. I had no doubt in my mind that I could do this. Besides, I knew they were ready to have Raven back. I was now no longer a useless member of the team, but I would never replace her. Particularly while camped out inside of her.

I stood before my chilled body for a few minutes, just studying it like someone might study an abstract piece of artwork with a hidden meaning. I couldn't see it as a person, and I definitely couldn't see it as _me_. It was a thing. It was nothing more than a statue.

I could see little bubbles of air clinging to the skin, which was so clean and healthy that it didn't seem real. Yet details still emerged under my scrutinizing gaze: the scar on the ankle and knee from a bike accident, the birthmark on the thigh, the crooked pinky finger. The thing's dress and hair swirled gently in the circulating fluid; it was the only sign of life and movement.

It was a shell, just waiting to be filled.

I took a few steps back, raising my arms above my head. I continued to stare down the tube, but I wasn't really looking _at_ it as much as I was looking _through _it. I thought about Slade, and how he had tried to play God for his own evil means. I thought about how I had foolishly trusted him, and how he had ruined the lives of dozens of helpless teenagers who had been living on the street.

And when the anger started in the center of my chest, I let it grow and spread throughout my body, sucking energy out of the air.

"Azararth," I spoke strongly, through gritted teeth. "Metrion." I could feel the tension inside of me grow, and I slowly lowered my hands. "Zinthos!"

With that final word, I thrust my hands forward, allowing the buildup of power rush out toward the figure in the tube. Immediately I could feel something tugging on me, trying to pull me out.

It was working, but it wasn't working fast enough.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" I shouted again. Something echoed inside of my head, saying the words along with me. Raven.

The tugging sensation became harsher, and I suddenly felt like I was being dragged behind a truck. Sharp pricks of pain dotted all over my skin. Blood trickled out of my nose. I gritted my teeth hard, trying to concentrate on what I was doing and not the pain. The blood rushed away from my head, and blackness swirled before my eyes. My legs wobbled a bit, and I fell to my knees, determined not to faint. I couldn't feel my body any more, and the pain went away. Were my hands still outstretched? I didn't know.

Somehow I knew that if I held on for much longer, the power would kill me.

"Morgan, stop!" shouted a voice from behind me, but it sounded miles away.

No.

"You have to stop!" shouted another voice.

No.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" I repeated desperately, my voice straining. I didn't hear Raven speak with me this time.

The whirlwind of power around me slowed, and the energy slowly dissipated, leaving me defeated on the floor. I became aware of my hands again as they fell into my lap like dead weight.

I was still in Raven's body.

I lied down on the floor, glancing up at my imprisoned body with tears filling my suddenly sore eyes. I had come so close. Closer than I would have imagined just days before. But I had offered everything I had.

Or had I? Maybe if I had inched closer to death—past the point of no return—it would have worked. Maybe I was just a coward for not taking it that far.

I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder, and I jumped a bit. I turned my head ever so slightly, watching Robin as he crouched down beside me. He gazed at me with a mixed expression. Concern? Hope that he had Raven back? I really couldn't tell. The other Titans moved up behind me, as well.

"It didn't work," I murmured, focusing back on the shell so I wouldn't have to look at any of them. "I couldn't do it."

"Your power was…frightening," Starfire said quietly.

Cyborg spoke, "The electricity all throughout the tower was going nuts."

"It wasn't enough," I said simply.

"Maybe with some more practice..?" Beast Boy added.

"You don't get it," I snapped. "That was my limit." My eyebrows furrowed as my anger increased. The emotional intensity mixed with my weak body make it feel like little fireworks were going off inside of me. "It wasn't near enough power. I didn't even leave Raven's body, much climb back into my own. I'd need twice as much energy."

"It's okay," Robin said quietly. He used the bottom of his cape to wipe the blood off my face, suddenly making me feel very small.

God, it had hurt so bad. Did I dare try it again? What if I failed once more? Was I just feeding on the hope that I could do this when it wasn't possible? I'd been sporadically using this magic for a couple of days—Raven had been using it her whole life! What did I know?

It wasn't fair that my whole existence had become so screwed up. And it wasn't fair that I was always the one who had to fend for myself.

"Morgan," Beast Boy spoke, breaking into my thoughts. "We've been meaning to talk to you."

The disappointment of my defeat retreated as I turned to glance at the Titans. What on earth had I done now?

There was an awkward moment of silence as they all glanced at each other. Finally, Robin spoke up, "We just wanted to say we're sorry. You know, for giving you the wrong impression."

"We're afraid that we've pushed you too hard," Cyborg added. "We don't want you to think that we only care about having Raven back."

"And we don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything dangerous or stupid," Robin continued. "We know that you don't understand your powers right now. You don't need to rush into anything."

"We made that mistake once before," Beast Boy said solemnly. "We won't let that happen again with you."

"You have proven that you are a true friend," Starfire finished. "We are proud to have you on our team."

I tried to sit up, but quickly found that I lacked the energy. I did, however, have the energy to smile. "Thanks, everyone," I said.

"Okay, guys," Robin said, standing up. "Enough of this love-fest. You guys get out of here—I'll make sure Morgan is okay."

Cyborg and Beast Boy ran noisily out of the room, bragging to each other about who would whip the other at Ultimate Race Wars 3000. Starfire followed behind.

Robin sighed and stood over me. "You can't get up, can you?" he said with an amused smirk.

A sheepish expression filled my face. "Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of."

"I'm okay. I just tapped into my energy reserves a bit too much."

For a moment, neither of us moved—I knew what my excuse was, but I wasn't sure about his. "Um, are you going to help me?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I just want to make sure that we're clear on what the team was just telling you," he said, crouching back down beside me again. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? We don't want to lose both Raven _and_ you."

"Don't be so dramatic," I chided. "It wasn't that bad."

Robin lifted one of my hands, turning the palm toward me. A black circle of semi-charred flesh rested in the middle of it. I was shocked.

"Not so bad?" he repeated.

"Okay, maybe it was a _little_ bad," I admitted. "I pushed myself more than I should have."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Don't do it again, okay?"

I let out a rush of air. "Not a chance."

"Okay. Just remember that you're not fooling me," he said with a smile.

Yeah, well, he wasn't fooling me, either. He reeked of care and concern. It was just like he had told me after my battle with Parasite—how the image of Raven's body in the enemy's grasp would haunt him forever. He could deny it all he wanted, but he loved Raven, and every time he saw something bad happen to her—or her body—it probably messed with him.

"Okay, your staring is creeping me out," he said, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized, looking away.

His arm reached under my shoulders, and he gently lifted me to a sitting position. My hands and legs were starting to tingle painfully. My whole body felt like a bruise. Fortunately, I knew I would be able to stand in a little bit of time. This magic stuff was harsh.

"I'll just need a few minutes here," I said. "I think I'll be able to get up."

He moved his arm away, and I instantly began to sway. He quickly put his arm back around me.

"Thanks," I said, slightly embarrassed.

"Sure," he replied. He sat on the floor beside me.

I was suddenly keenly aware of warmth of his arm and body right next to mine. I couldn't remember the last time I had been held like this. I liked it. A lot.

Too much.

"So you said you'd need twice as much energy to make the spell work?" he asked, once again breaking me out of my thoughts.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Does Raven happen to have a sister that she doesn't know about? 'Cause there would have to be two of me to generate the amount of power that I need. Can't a girl get a clone around…here…?" My voice faded out as my brain kicked into high gear. A string of excited, unladylike curses came to mind. I had an idea. A great idea.

But not an idea that Robin or the other Titans would go for. It was risky, and yet here I'd just promised them I wouldn't do anything stupid.

It wasn't "stupid," _per se_. All the same, perhaps it would be better if I didn't mention it to the others.

"Trust me," Robin said, "clones are just a mess that you don't want to get into."

"So I should be careful what I wish for?" I asked with a smile.

"Exactly."


	12. Fight

The view from the top of the tower was awe-inspiring. The entire city sprawled out on the east; the sparkling water twinkled to the horizon on the west. The cool wind raced around me, picking up my hair and tossing it all around my face. Nature felt extremely nice now—I felt so much more in tune with it since unlocking Raven's powers. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly, allowing nature to sweep around me.

The world seemed different from up here. It seemed much more friendly and bright. It was only literally only a couple dozen stories up from the streets that I used to live on, but figuratively it could have been another planet.

While I took in the scenery, my mind churned over the details of my plan. It had to work this time. If it didn't, I don't think I would ever have the guts or the hope to try it again. But then what would I do? Stay on as a Teen Titan and live out my days as a superhero? That sounded so…retarded. But I couldn't just take off in Raven's body. No, it _had_ to work.

"What are you doing up here?" Robin spoke from behind me.

"Just…meditating," I responded, turning to face him. He stood a few feet away, his cape billowing out to his side. "It's relaxing—helps clear the chaos in my head."

He lifted an eyebrow and gave a soft smile. "You're becoming more and more like Raven every day."

That was the very notion that I couldn't get out of my head. "I know," I said softly. "And I don't even know her. Is it because she's still in here with me? Or is it the power that defines us?"

"Maybe you two are just similar people," he suggested.

I highly doubted that. I'd seen the books in Raven's room—and her wardrobe. "So what are _you_ doing up here?" I asked.

"Looking for you," he said. "Wondering if you'd join me in a workout."

"What kind of workout?"

"The kind where we pretend we're in the field."

He said it so casually, but I could read between the lines. "If you want to test my powers," I said curtly, "you can just say so."

His eyebrows furrowed a bit. "I just need to make sure that everyone on my team is capable and safe," he said.

"I understand that," I said. "You just don't have to try and b.s. about it. I'm in."

He nodded in satisfaction. "Okay. Let's head down to the training room." He turned around and began to walk toward the door. "You can change and—" I raised my hand, letting my magic leap in front of him and forming a solid barrier, which he bumped into.

"No," I said shortly.

He looked back at me, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Right here," I said.

"But we're on top of the tower…"

"You think an enemy is going to wait to appear until we're at a convenient location or not wearing a great-looking pink sweater?" I asked. I released the magic barrier and folded my arms across my chest. The anger was beginning to simmer inside of me. Good—I'd need it. "If we're going to play, then let's play. Right here. You and me."

My words were said with a lot more bravery than I felt. I was confident in my ability to use my powers, but I wasn't confident about how I could defeat Robin. God only knew how many hours of actual combat time he'd logged. I'd managed to help us in two battles—one by using my street smarts and one by getting so pissed that I shut up a couple of loudmouths. That didn't really mount up to a glowing resume. Plus he knew how Raven worked—_I _didn't even know how I worked, much less what Robin's tricks were.

"Okay," he said with a nod, seeming somewhat pleased by my words. He took out his communicator and proceeded to warn Cyborg to ignore any alarms that we might set off in the process of our workout.

As he spoke, I focused on letting my emotions churn inside of me, drawing the energy into my body. I thought about Slade, my stepfather, and various other people who had hurt or taken advantage of me; the thoughts fueled my inner fire, and I could feel the pressure building up inside. Finally Robin snapped his communicator shut. He retrieved his bowstaff, twirling it in his hand.

I raised my arms out perpendicularly to my body, my palms facing away. The power raced to my hands, lighting my hands with black flames. Robin stopped twirling his staff, holding it tightly in his hand as he crouched into a fighting stance.

For a moment we stared each other down like some gunslingers in an old western and waited for the other person to make a move. My eyes were locked on him, watching for the twitch of a muscle that would indicate an attack. Was he going to make a move before I did? My skin tingled in anticipation.

He moved first. He leapt forward like a pouncing cat, his staff coming down hard. I lifted my arm, allowing the magic to form a shield that would block the blow.

He came straight at me, throwing a punch with his left arm. I deflected it surprisingly easily. He grabbed at me, taking my arm and jerking me toward him. He threw another punch. I blocked with my forearms, enhanced by magic, and drove a knee toward his gut at the same time. He released his grip on me and stepped back before I could make contact.

Suddenly he threw something on the ground, and a thick cloud of smoke billowed around him. Shit. Now he was going to play tricky. The strong wind immediately began to clear the air, but he was already out of sight. My eyes swept around me, locking on every generator, vent, and barrier around me. He had to be crouched behind one of them.

I took a step forward, and then another. Nothing moved or made a sound except for the wind rushing past me.

Something moved in the corner of my eye, and I whirled toward it, arms up in a reflex action. I saw a blur of red and green as Robin flew toward me. I stumbled backward, almost tripping over my own feet. I needed something to protect me. I—

Something broadsided the Boy Wonder, hitting him with such force that he grunted as the air was knocked out of him. He and the object landed a few yards to my right. I spun toward him, seeing a mangled central air unit lying on the ground beside him. God, had I done that? This was getting a bit dangerous. Adrenaline coursed through me, and I could feel it feeding my power like it did during the confrontation with Punk Rocket and Harmony. It wouldn't take much to let it all loose, but I didn't want to hurt Robin. I'd need to hold back a little bit.

Robin was lifted himself on all fours, shaking his head clear.

"Robin?" I spoke, dashing toward him. "Are you okay?"

I saw my mistake too late. With my guard down, Robin suddenly leapt to his feet, hitting the backs of my knees with his staff. Despite that I spun my arms in the air to regain my balance, I still ended up on my ass.

He pounced on top of me, and I lifted my hands to meet his in an attempt to push him off me. Our hands gripped each other tightly.

"You're not trying hard enough," he growled from above me. I saw with some satisfaction that his forehead was moist with sweat. He pressed his weight against me, and I felt the muscles in my arms burn.

"Neither are you," I retorted, gritting my teeth and pushing back. "How are you going to trust my skills unless you let loose with everything you've got?"

"Be careful what you—"

"Azarathmetrionzinthos," I spouted, speaking so fast that the words melded together. Energy burst from my hands in a quick flash, the force sending him flying away from me. I sat up quickly to trace my opponent, but he had disappeared again.

I cursed under my breath as I rose to my feet.

"Hey Morgan!" came Robin's voice.

I turned toward the noise, spying a half-dozen birdarangs on a collision course with my body. I covered my head with my hands; my forearms blocked my face. I again used the magic to shield myself, but even as I was doing so I knew that I should have taken a more offensive position. I heard several of the birdarangs smash into my shielding, but one zipped past my leg, slicing through the material and cutting my flesh. I cried out, feeling my blood rush out of the wound. I quickly lowered my arms, launching the black shield straight ahead of me like a missile.

It hit a generator, ripping through it like paper. It exploded impressively, sending black smoke and shrapnel into the air. With some satisfaction, I saw Robin leap out from behind it at the last second. Got 'em.

He was upon me within an eye blink. A fist whizzed within an inch of my face as I stepped back. I took a quick step forward and kicked toward Robin's hip. He blocked it easily, and then swung again. I caught his wrist and pulled it past me. For a moment, we were almost face-to-face.

Robin pulled left, then quickly back to the right. I braced myself, but he was too strong. Both of my feet were off the ground; the rule of gravity took over. I didn't go down, but it was damn close. Before I could recover, Robin drove a pile-driver fist into my ribs so hard that I imagined I heard one crack. Maybe it wasn't my imagination.

Me and my big mouth.

Punch. Block. Kick. My brain hummed. Robin and I circled each other—hands up, eyes locked, legs bent. Without warning, he suddenly jumped up and spun at the same time, whipping his right leg around in a roundhouse kick—straight for my head.

I ducked, barely missing the opportunity of introducing my face to his steel-toed boot. He landed smoothly and turned. I spun, trying to deliver a solid kick to the body.

He blocked it easily. He took the blow against the flat of one palm, pushed sharply to throw me off-balance, and then followed the push with a straight left that took me right between the eyes.

The sound of his knuckles hitting my skull was amazing. It was like someone had broken a rock with a sledgehammer. My head snapped back and I stumbled. I felt my teeth bite into my lower lip, and the coppery taste of blood filled my mouth.

Sparks of red light swarmed through my eyes. My ears started to ring. All at once my arms and legs gained fifty pounds each.

I tried to get my hands up to block, but they didn't listen to orders. Another punch whistled in and hit me on the temple.

The sky flashed into bright shades of yellow and red. There was a sound in my ears like the road from a hundred seashells.

I backpedaled fast and managed to avoid the next shot. Another punch came. Blocked. Another. Dodged. Another. It glanced off the top of my head without shooting any fireworks through my skull.

I dropped to the ground, semi-trying to knock his legs out from under him. My foot clipped his leg, but he jumped over my swing. I twisted by body and scissored by free leg at him. It slammed into him at full force, knocking him onto his back. Obviously that one had been a surprise to him. Then we both scrambled to get up before the other.

I didn't wait to get up to my feet. Fuck this hand-to-hand shit. Raven's was psychokinetic, not a tae kwon do master. He was trying to force me into playing the game his way—and I had no way to win with those rules. I was going to have to change things up. I held my arm diagonally across my chest, and then whipped it out straight, sending a stream of black energy directly toward him. It wrapped around him like a giant hand, holding his arms against his body.

But I'd left his hands free. I didn't realize my mistake until he let something drop from his glove. The object exploded when it hit the ground, sending out a light as bright as the sun. It surprised me so much that I accidentally released my hold on Robin as I turned my head away from the light. I realized my mistake as soon as it happened. Unable to open my eyes and see where he was to grab at him again, I lifted my arms over my head in a "Y" shape and unleashed some more magic.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," I murmured to myself. A dome of blackness surrounded me, protecting me from anything that he might launch my way. Then I fed more energy into the dome, allowing it to grow, expanding outward. It pushed against anything that it met, knocking over the generators and vents that got in its way. I could sense everything that touched as it nudged back against my shield—that is how I knew when it bumped into Robin.

He scrambled away from it, but I already had him pinpointed in my mind's eye. Instantly I let the magic grab hold of the scattered items on the roof and launch them toward where Robin was standing. He would dart to the side of one, and then jump back to avoid another. He threw some more of his toys at me, but I wiped them out with the door to the roof without breaking my attack. Then my mind registered exactly where he was standing—over the opening that allowed the T-Ship to get in and out of the tower. I sent three objects at him at once; he executed an insane and showy backflip into the air to avoid my arsenal, not realizing that I was just pushing him toward a certain spot. While he was in mid-air, I opened the hatch beneath him, robbing him of a surface to land on. I thought I heard a curse pass from his lips as he disappeared through the opening to the landing bay below.

Everything went still.

I didn't move for a moment. I kept my arms raised, ready to attack if needed. But all was still. Too still.

I knew better than approach the edge. I'd seen enough movies to know that it was always bad to go to the ledge to see what happened to your opponent. Nothing good ever happened to the moron who did that.

A minute passed. I remained where I was, arms out, the wind tossing my hair into my eyes.

_Come on_, I urged mentally. _Come on._

More time passed. It had to have been at least two minutes now since he'd fallen. I began to get more and more worried. What if I'd hurt him? What if he'd lost consciousness?

"Robin?" I called out. No response. "Are you there? Come on, Rob, this isn't funny. Seriously. Just let me know if you're okay."

Nothing.

Shit. I _had_ hurt him. My concern finally outweighed everything else. I lowered my hands, running over to the edge. I looked down, seeing the T-Ship on its platform below.

"Robin?" I shouted again, hearing my voice bounce off the walls of the landing bay.

Suddenly a cord flew up from the pit, wrapping itself around my legs. A burst of adrenaline ran through me, but I'd let down my guard, and my anger wasn't readily available for me to use to tap into the magic. I knew I had screwed up.

There was a yank on the cord, which pulled my legs forward. I lost my balance and fell headfirst into the pit.

I screamed. I couldn't help it. The ground rushed toward me and I closed my eyes tightly.

The cord around my legs suddenly snapped tight, and a sound much like a hiccup escaped me as my body stopped. I opened my eyes.

I was suspended upside-down, my head about five or six feet from the floor. The rope still had some momentum to it, and it swung me back and forth slowly. My sweater had succumbed to gravity, and was bunched up around my breasts. I quickly grabbed the hem and put it back into place, holding it there.

Robin suddenly appeared from the shadows, an insufferable grin on his face. "Nice of you to drop in," he said, walking up to me. "How's it hanging?"

"Are you going to pun me to death?" I scowled. I felt humiliated just swinging there like that. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, too. I was _so_ angry with myself, to boot. I'd known better!

He lifted a hand, making a slashing motion across my throat. "Gotcha," he said, obviously pleased with himself.

"Yeah, yeah. I _knew_ you were going to get me once I came to the ledge," I said. "I _knew it!_"

"Then why did you do it?" he asked, the tone in his voice like a teacher chiding a student. He stepped back tilting his head sideways as he looked at me. Perhaps it made it easier.

"I—I was worried about you," I admitted.

"Are you going to let your compassion get to you in the battlefield?" he asked.

"No," I said angrily, my eyebrows furrowing. "This was different and you know it. This was you and me fighting. This wasn't real."

"This_ wasn't_ different," he said sharply, standing straight and folding his arms. "You never know who you're going to have to fight."

His words confused me a bit. "You planning on turning evil or something?" I questioned smartly.

He didn't say anything for a moment. "We've had to fight each other on one occasion or another," he admitted slowly. "For real."

Oh joy. Another aspect of this superhero life, I guess. Seems like you couldn't really trust anyone 100 percent of the time.

"So I failed your test because of my compassion?" I asked somewhat bitterly.

"No," he said. "I'll admit that compassion is important. Nothing is black-and-white. And you didn't fail. You did good. _Really_ good. I have to admit that I'm impressed."

I was shocked. So shocked that I couldn't think of anything to say. My mouth hung open dumbly.

"We'll keep doing workouts," he said. "But nothing this intense." He pointed toward his cheek, and I noticed that it was a deep purple shade. When had that happened? Had I done that?

"So," I began, "any chance of getting down today?"

He smiled abashedly, as if he'd forgotten that I was hanging upside-down like a Christmas turkey. He turned his torso a bit, and I saw that the cord was hooked to something in his utility belt. He flicked a switch, and the cord snapped free from his belt.

Seconds later, I felt the tension give, and I began to drop again. I let out a small yelp, but I only dropped a few inches before I landed softly in Robin's arms. He held me tightly against him, and I felt myself blush profusely again.

He bent to set me down. I was so relieved when my butt finally touched the floor. Solid ground at last! I noticed, however, the Robin winced a bit as he moved away.

"Am I that heavy?" I asked.

"No," he said, a bit chagrinned. He sat on the floor across from me. "But you did hit me pretty hard."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Don't apologize," he said. "I told you not to hold back. I was just cursing myself later for saying that," he said with a smile.

I smiled back. "Me, too," I said, touching my lip. It was sticky and extremely tender. "I can't believe you hit a girl," I chided.

A mixture of emotions spread across his face, as if he couldn't believe that he had done it, either. Perhaps I had gotten to him a bit more than he would like to admit.

"Don't worry about it," I spoke with a smile. "I know I egged you into it."

"I mean what I said out there," he said, running a hand through his hair (which was still perfectly coifed even after all our fighting). "You fought really well. I honestly wasn't expecting anything on that caliber from you."

"Maybe I inherited some of Raven's reflexes," I said dismissively. But my tone was no reflection of what I felt inside. I was so excited that I wasn't sure my skin could contain my happiness. I had done it. Every bruise and cut was worth it. At least, it was worth it right now—I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it when I woke up after a night's sleep.

I raised my fist up over my legs, and then opened my hand, spreading my fingers wide. As I did, the cord unwound itself from my legs and fell to the ground.

"You know, it's kind of curious, but your powers seem to manifest differently than Raven's."

"What do you mean?" I asked, glancing up and pushing some of my hair behind my ear.

"Just the way you use them—some of the things you do. They're not Textbook Raven."

"Well, I'm not Raven," I said in a tone that made it clear that I was sick of being compared to Raven. "I mean, don't cars act differently in the hands of different drivers?"

He nodded. "I suppose you're right. I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything—I was just stating an observation."

"Well, there's bound to be some differences, right? I mean, I haven't even figured out how to fly yet."

"Or heal. Or phase through walls."

I gaped at him. "You mean there's more? And here I thought I was getting the hang of it."

"Believe me, you are." He reached for the cord that now rested by my feet. I saw him wince again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

He nodded and began to wind up the cord. "I'm fine. It's just as the adrenaline dies down, the pain starts to kick up a bit."

"Let me see it," I said.

"It's no big—"

"Let me _see it_," I insisted.

He hesitated a bit, and then lifted up the right side of his shirt, showing me a dazzling display of swollen red and purple skin. It must have happened when I threw the air conditioner at him.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, moving my legs so that I was kneeling on the floor. "Did I break a rib?"

"Nah," he said nonchalantly, lowering his shirt. "You just bruised me really good."

"Are you sure?" I asked warily.

"Yeah, pretty sure. I've had a broken rib before."

I sat quietly for a moment. "Let me try to heal it."

"What?"

"You heard me! Let me try and heal it."

"But—"

"Didn't you just say that one of Raven's powers was healing? Give me a chance here. I won't mess it up. The worst case is that absolutely nothing happens." I wasn't positive that nothing happening _was_ the worst-case scenario, but I felt fairly confident.

He nodded his consent.

"Lay back," I ordered. He lied down, resting his head on my legs. "Now close your eyes," I said, setting my left hand on his forehead.

I gently lifted his shirt with my right hand, letting my eyes take in the starburst patterns that had developed over his skin. I could do this, couldn't I? It was the same magic, just with a different purpose. I just had to think about it differently.

Of course, that's what I'd been telling myself about the flying stuff, too.

I set my hand on his wound, and he jumped a tiny bit at the touch of my cool hand. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the nerve impulses being received from my fingers…and what lied beneath them. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," I whispered. I poured energy through my fingertips, willing it to knit the damage that had been done.

It took a moment, but then I could feel it working. I wasn't even sure how I was doing it, but it was unmistakable that his body had gone into healing overdrive. After a minute or two, any sign of his injury had completely vanished.

I opened my eyes, examining my handiwork. "You're done," I said with a smile, removing my hands.

He opened his eyes and sat up, lifting his shirt to inspect his former wound. "Wow," he praised. "You did it."

"You doubted?" I spoke, still smiling.

He lowered his shirt and then smiled back at me. "Thanks," he said.

We didn't say anything for a moment, and everything suddenly felt extremely awkward. Yeah, nothing like some thick tension while sitting in a landing bay, coated with sweat, dirt, and blood. I rose to my feet. "I should go clean up," I said.

Robin climbed to his feet, too. "And I should go apologize to Cyborg for messing up the roof. He's gonna be a bit upset."

I thought of the chaos that I had caused on top of the building. I _really_ hoped that I hadn't screwed anything important up. I just hadn't been thinking of that at the time.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Robin returned. "We've had worse things happen." Yeah, like that was going to make me feel better.

We stood there for another awkward moment. Finally, I stepped back. "Well, thanks for the workout. I'm sure I'll never forget it." I spun around and began to walk away, muttering under my breath about how completely lame I was.

"Hey, Mor?" Robin spoke from behind me.

I turned back around.

And suddenly found Robin's lips pressed against mine.

* * *

My eyes flew open, and I found myself staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom. My fingers quickly brushed over my lip, searching for the sticky sore. Nothing. My leg wasn't cut, either.

A dream. It had all been a dream. A really fucking intense dream.

Thank God.

Of course, I hadn't had to undergo the trial of my powers, either. Maybe I didn't really have that kind of control. Maybe it was just all part of the fantasy world.

I rolled over, my hands gripping the pillow. My heart was pounding inside my chest. Why on earth did my head have to be creating delusions like that? As if things weren't messed up enough. Was I actually getting a fucking crush on Robin? God, this couldn't be happening. He was in love with _Raven_, not Raven's bodily host.

But it was just a dream. It didn't matter.

Or _did_ it matter?

Hadn't I read something about dreams being a magical portal or something like that? A doorway for visions or prophecies?

It couldn't be.

Despite my crush or whatever the hell I might be feeling, I refused to park myself in this body for life. Robin deserved the chance to tell Raven—the _real_ Raven—how he felt. And, perhaps, I needed to tell him how _I_ felt—as Morgan.

I sat up, throwing the covers off of me. There wasn't any time to waste. Screw the extra planning or preparing. It was now or never. And "never" wasn't an option.


	13. Peace

I took Robin's R-Cycle. He was probably going to kill me when he found out, but hopefully all of this would work and he would understand my reasons. To keep the noise from waking anyone up, I walked the machine out of the tower and down the road until I felt that I was far enough away. Like the T-Car, I had a slight learning curve in figuring out how to operate the dumb bike. Luckily, it wasn't rocket science.

By the time I made it to my destination, it was almost 4:00 in the morning—much later than I had intended it to be. The Titans would be getting out of bed soon, and I couldn't have them discovering that I was missing. That would only complicate things.

I had been able to do a small bit of research in the past couple of days. I knew exactly where to go. The upper floors of the Jump City Penitentiary were well lit and heavily guarded by both people and cameras, but the basement only had the cameras. It was a lot easier to explore the area then, since I could short out the equipment or cover them in black haze as I passed.

I was extremely anxious. After all, it's not like I had been able to practice any of this, and there were still a lot of variables. I tried to push that out of my mind and converting my anxiety into anger. It built with every step, like how static electricity builds when you shuffle across the carpet. It fed the magic, making the air around me crackle with anticipation.

Finally, I reached the cell that I was looking for. There was one lead security door near me, then a 4-foot gap before a set of bars, which kept the prisoner from reaching out and grabbing anyone who peeked their head in. It was actually a smart system.

I waved my hand in front of the doorknob, disarming the alarms and unlocking the door. The door swung open, and I walked inside, shutting it behind me. Then I stood before the bars, peering into the shadows at the figure lying there.

"Wake up," I sang sweetly, my voice hiding the unease I felt. I used my power to turn on the overhead lights, flooding the room in greenish-yellow fluorescence.

Parasite's purple mass, which had been curled up on a mattress in the corner, shifted and rolled over. He growled angrily, cursing under his breath.

"You're pretty gutsy to—" he stopped when his eyes fell upon me. "It's you," he said softly. "You're the _freak_ who put me here."

"So you remember me," I returned, staring him down to show him that I wasn't afraid.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

"I need a favor," I said.

He snorted. "Funny girl. You _barbequed_ me. What makes you think that I'm going to help you after what you did to me?"

I gave a pitying smile. "Funny guy. What makes you think that you have a choice?"

Shock rippled across his face. I lifted my arm, the black magic shooting from my hand to the bars. The iron bent in opposite directions, and I stepped forward uninhibited. Parasite's face now registered the weight of the situation, and it suddenly occurred to me that he was terrified of what I might do.

For a moment, I felt guilty about my intentions. Not only was my plan risky, but I was also completely taking advantage of this guy. Just because he was a criminal didn't make it right to hurt him.

But I'd come too far to turn back. Adrenaline had taken over, and I rushed over, thinking only of my body, lying in state in a tube of plastic…because of a criminal like Parasite. He cowered away from me, but he didn't have anywhere to go. He knew that if he tried to fight me that he would have to touch me, and that was exactly what he didn't want.

He grabbed for his mattress in an attempt to use it as some sort of weapon, but I was too fast. I raised my arms high above my head to use like lightning rods to capture the energy around me. "Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!" I shouted. I brought my hands down, clamping onto his skin.

Immediately I felt Parasites abilities kick into gear, attempting to suck my presence out of my body. I refused to fight back, allowing Parasite to suck the energy out of me without a struggle.

The criminal's eyes literally lit up as the power enveloped him, and for half of a second I wondered if I had just made a huge mistake. But then his weird physical transformation began, just as it had before. A strange mix of a moan and scream rushed from Parasite's mouth. His torso and head ripped into two, each half becoming its own form—that same conjoined twin that shared a pair of legs. The heads became more and more skeletal, all four eyes glowing evilly.

I forced myself to think about the shell in Titan Tower—the body waiting for me. I let Parasite absorb those thoughts, too. Two beings with one mind.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" I shouted. Each of Parasite's heads spoke the words with me—one of the heads in Parasite's voice, the other with Raven's. We unleashed a whirlwind of energy.

I felt everything inside of me give a great jerk upward, and black and red stars swirled before my eyes until everything went black. The sharp pinpricks of pain once more dotted my skin. The roar of a hundred waterfalls filled my ears, mixing with Parasite's screams. Suddenly I couldn't breath, and I gasped for breath. I couldn't feel my limbs any more. I tried to say the words again, but no sound came out of my mouth.

The world abruptly became silent. The chaos in my mind instantly dissipated. My eyes flew open.

Blurs of bright blue were snapped into focus, but for a second I didn't realize what I was seeing. The blue surrounded me, and then there was a strange barrier before blackness. Then I saw other strange lights in my peripheral vision, and I realized where I was.

I was _in my body_. In the cryogenic chamber in the Tower.

And I couldn't breath.

The liquid had filled my body's lungs for two years, keeping it preserved in my absence. But now that I was back, my lungs screamed for air, trying to push the liquid out—but it had nowhere to go.

I tried to lift my arms in an attempt to break the glass, but my arms wouldn't respond to my command. Neither would my legs.

_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!_ I instinctively thought, but nothing happened. Of _course_ nothing would happen—I wasn't in Raven's body any more.

Everything began to feel heavy. My respiratory system was on fire.

_I'm going to drown. After all I've been through, I'm going to drown._

A flash of color appeared, and a fist suddenly broke the glass. In a rush of pressure, the glass completely shattered, and I fell forward with the water, completely unable to stop myself. A pair of arms caught me, then turned me around and sat me on the floor.

Starfire, my rescuer, sat beside me and then patted my back, jolting me hard. My stomach heaved and the blue liquid came rushing up my esophagus, followed by violent coughs from my lungs. Only Starfire's grasp kept me from falling over as my body purged everything and let the sweet oxygen rush inside.

It only took a moment before the spasms ceased. I gasped for breath over and over—it felt like I would never get enough air. Starfire graciously said nothing about my sickly behavior. She leaned me back against her, holding me like a doll. I continued to pant and tried to relax, but my mind was in overdrive. Had I actually done it? What had happened to Raven? How had Starfire found me?

God, my dress was now totally transparent and clinging to my skin. _My _skin. My body. I couldn't help but smile as my eyes took in every freckle and scar that it could see. The claustrophobic feeling that had haunted me for weeks was completely gone—this body was just my size. And despite my bedraggled appearance, I was sure that I'd never looked better.

My limbs remained unresponsive, unable to brush the wet hair from my eyes or cover myself, yet they began to tingle as my blood began to flow through my body again. Starfire's warmth suddenly made me realize how cold I was, with every inch of my body soaked in the cryogenic liquid. I began to shiver, and she wrapped her arms around me tighter.

"Friend Morgan, are you all right?" Starfire finally asked, her green eyes gazing at me with deep concern. She swept my wet bangs out of my face with her fingertips.

I didn't answer her question. Despite all that was going on in my mind right now, I only had one thought. "R-r-Raven," I stuttered through chattering teeth, taken aback at the sound of my own voice coming through my own vocal cords. "Is s-s-she…?"

"She's fine," Robin's voice spoke from behind. "She called us on the communicator and told us to come find you."

Relief washed through my body. I had been so afraid that Raven wouldn't have regained control of her body, or that she would have fallen unconscious in Parasite's grip.

Beast Boy stepped up to me, placing a fleece blanket over my body. He grinned at me like a little kid. "Welcome back, Mor."

I smiled back at him.

"You were able to return to your body!" Starfire exclaimed. "How did you achieve this?"

The three boys began to speak at once, also asking how I'd managed to get back into my own body.

I didn't have a chance to respond, however, before another familiar voice spoke up, "So is anyone going to say hello to me?"

Raven.

I turned my head, seeing her standing by some of the cryo chambers. How had she made it here so quickly?

"Raven!" Beast Boy and Cyborg exclaimed together, rushing over to greet her.

"Raven," Robin said, much more softly. He pushed his way through the other two guys, suddenly squeezing her in a tight hug.

The violet-haired girl seemed surprised and a bit embarrassed. "Nice to see you, too," she said. Her eyes peered at me from over Robin's shoulder, taking in everything about me. After a moment, when Robin finally let her go, she gave me a soft smile.

The guys began to talk rapidly to her, telling her about all the things that she missed and wanting to know what happened. The warmth from the blanket surrounded me, and my eyelids began to droop. Now that all of my adrenaline had worn off, I was _so_ tired.

"You can lie me down," I murmured to Starfire, my eyes comfortably closed. "I'll be just fine."

"I'll watch her, Star," Robin said softly. My eyes popped open and I saw him standing beside us. He crouched down, and Starfire held me until he was able to wrap an arm around my back. I felt almost like a baby. Then Starfire rushed over to greet Raven.

"You don't have to watch me," I said, yawning a little bit.

"Remember what I said about not doing anything stupid?" he said. I looked up at him, my expression a bit sheepish. "Well, it seems that everything worked out okay, so you weren't that stupid."

"No, I was stupid. A lot of things could have gone wrong. I should have told you guys what was going on."

"Okay, I'll concede that. You should have."

As I gazed up at him, I suddenly realized something odd—all my girly crush feelings were gone. Wasn't that a bit odd? I had dreamt about kissing this guy, and now I was in his arms again and didn't care.

Then I looked over at Raven, who was listening to her friends talk about everything that had been going on since she had left. Her eyes stole a glance at me, the faintest of smiles on her lips.

That was it. Those had been _Raven's_ emotions in my head—somehow I had been feeling what she had been feeling. And she was in love with Robin.

_Good thing he's in love with her, too,_ I thought. _If only he would just say it._

"What?" Robin asked me.

My eyelids flew open—I didn't even remember closing them. "What, what?" I echoed.

"You said something. 'If only he would just say it.'"

Had I said that out loud? Great. I was so tired that I was speaking and not even remembering it. Then I decided to speak my mind, anyway. "If only _you_ would just say that you're in love with her."

He didn't ask whom I meant. He knew it just as well as I did. He did seem a little embarrassed about it, though. His eyes drifted back over to Raven. "I can't do that…" he murmured softly.

"Don't be stupid," I said. "You could have lost her, Robin. She might have never come back and you would never have had the chance to tell her how you feel. You're in the _superhero_ business for heaven's sake. You never know when your number is going to come up. Can you live like that forever?"

He didn't say anything, but I could feel his grip on me getting tighter as he listed to my words. He knew that I was right.

"Have you always been this smart?" he asked.

My eyelids began to close again. It seemed like it took all my strength just to stay awake. A soft smile curled up the corner of my mouth. "Always," I said. And then I fell asleep.

* * *

My name is Morgan, and I am dead.

Yes, dead.

Wanna hear how it happened?

I was the victim of a supervillain who was experimenting on runaways in order to find a way to extend his life after death. His plan almost worked. Almost. But when it came down to it, my body couldn't handle being jump-started back to life. I died not long after I my soul made it back into my body.

I feel bad that I cast such a shadow on the Titans' happy homecoming. They were all so excited about Raven, and it took them a bit to realize that I had stopped breathing. Then they were in a panic trying to revive me, before realizing that I was truly gone.

It's too bad that I wasn't able to take my own advice and tell them everything that I felt inside—about how I was glad I had come into their lives and found peace. I hope they know.

_The End_

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who stuck through my story until the end. I appreciated your reviews and comments so much and it kept me going. I hope that you all enjoyed it. For those of you who are into DVD bonus features, be sure to check out the next chapter—it contains an alternate ending and some trivia.

As for me, I still have ideas brewing in my head, including a Power Rangers Zeo story and a story based on John Fiorella's _Grayson_, a short fan film about Robin. If you haven't seen it, run a Google search and download it! There might also be some more Teen Titans in the future…


	14. Bonus Material

A/N: This was the original ending to _Another's Eyes_. I changed it because I felt that it went on too long and made Morgan too much of a pity case. But I posted it here for those of you who are curious to know how it could have been.

* * *

Raven.

I turned my head, seeing her standing by some of the cryo chambers. How had she made it here so quickly?

"Raven!" Beast Boy and Cyborg exclaimed together, rushing over to greet her.

"Raven," Robin said, much more softly. He pushed his way through the other two guys, suddenly squeezing her in a tight hug.

The violet-haired girl seemed surprised and a bit embarrassed. "Nice to see you, too," she said. Her eyes peered at me from over Robin's shoulder, taking in everything about me. After a moment, when Robin finally let her go, she gave me a soft smile.

The guys began to talk rapidly to her, telling her about all the things that she missed and wanting to know what happened. The warmth from the blanket surrounded me, and my eyelids began to droop. Now that all of my adrenaline had worn off, I was _so_ tired.

"You can lie me down," I murmured to Starfire, my eyes comfortably closed. "I'll be just fine." If she replied, I didn't hear it before I fell asleep.

The guys began to talk rapidly to her, telling her about all the things that she missed and wanting to know what happened. The warmth from the blanket surrounded me, and my eyelids began to droop. Now that all of my adrenaline had worn off, I was _so_ tired.

"You can lie me down," I murmured to Starfire, my eyes comfortably closed. "I'll be just fine." If she replied, I didn't hear it before I fell asleep.

* * *

I dreamt of Slade. Not the Slade that I had met—the one that offered me a meal, but the Slade that the Titans had told me about—the cruel, sadistic killer.

He appeared from the darkness, and even though his face was masked, I knew that he was smirking underneath it.

"Welcome back, Subject H-4," he spoke smoothly.

Rage boiled within me. If I'd still had Raven's powers, I would have been able to turn Slade to cinders. Alas, even my dreams didn't grant me the satisfaction.

"I'm so glad you found a way to return to the living," he continued. "Now that you've proven my experiment to be a success, I can use it to my advantage."

"That's bullshit," I snapped. "You're dead—the Titans told me that Terra took you out." As soon as the words were out, my face paled. _I_ had been dead, too.

He chuckled. "Thank you for making all this possible. I've learned so much from you."

I ran forward, ready to pummel him with all I had, but he stepped back into the darkness, leaving me with my wrath.

_

* * *

_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The noise was steady, and it cut through my sleep. My eyelids fluttered open, resting on the ugly white ceiling tile before scanning my surroundings.

I was in a hospital. Not the Tower's infirmary, but Jump City General Hospital. The door to my room was shut, but I could hear people passing by outside. Machines behind me continued beeping and blinking, registering various vital signs. A nasal tube pushed air into my lungs and an IV ran into my arm. A monitor was clipped to my index finger, and I could feel wires and sticky pads all over my chest. I wore a hideous and generic blue hospital gown.

Not everything was bad, though. A table beside the window overflowed with flowers of all colors. Groups of balloons taped to the walls. A giant banner that said "Get Well Soon" hung over the flowers. And a cherry, obviously not-hospital-owned, yellow blanket rested on top of me.

But how had I ended up here? The last thing I remembered was simply going to sleep after my exhausting morning. What was I doing in the hospital?

My hands obeyed me this time, and I was able to lift them and push back the blanket. I felt a tiny bit stiff and achy, but it was wonderful to be back in my own body again. I felt like Dorothy after she returned to Kansas, just feeling amazed by everything and eternally grateful.

I turned, putting my slipper-socked feet on the floor and slowly standing up. I wondered if the collection of wires and gizmos would let me reach one of the nearby roses. I reached my fingers out slowly, feeling the wires tighten on me.

Suddenly the door opened, and I jumped back like a kid caught red-handed with her hand in the cookie jar.

Raven stepped into the room, her purple eyes wide with surprise as she gazed at me. For a moment, neither of us moved. For a month I had only seen that face in the mirror, and now there was no mirror to be found. She was dressed in one of her uniforms, complete with the cloak and the weird shoes. All back to normal.

And there I was, standing in a flimsy hospital gown.

"You're awake," she said, stating the obvious. I'd heard her dispassionate voice so many times in my head, but it sounded so foreign this time as it came from the other side of the room.

I didn't know what to say, so I only nodded.

"I only left for a moment to go get a drink," she said. "Figures that you'd wake up at that time."

"You…You were watching over me?" I asked, my voice a wee bit squeaky.

She blushed for a second, nodding. "I wanted to. You took take care of me when I was gone; I figured that I could return the favor and look after you."

My knees began to wobble, and I figured it was time to sit back down. As I began to slowly sit, Raven rushed to my side to help me.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said, colors swimming before my eyes for a second. "I guess I'm just not ready to be running marathons yet."

I leaned back on the pillows, and Raven helped me get my legs back under the blanket. I was too grateful to be particularly embarrassed. I could feel my body sink into the comfortable surroundings. Maybe I'd overdone it by standing like that.

"What am I doing in here?" I asked.

She pulled out her communicator instead of answering. "Titans, this is Raven. Come in."

"_We read you," _Beast Boy's voice said from the device. _"What's up?"_

"Morgan's awake," Raven replied.

"_AWESOME!"_ BB shouted so loud that the communicator's speakers crackled a bit. _"We'll be right there. Beast Boy out."_

"He seems excited," I said as she put the gadget away.

"I think they all will be," she said.

My gaze drifted around the room again. "Did you guys do all this decorating?"

She brushed her hair behind her ear, nodding. "Starfire, mostly. She thought that the colors would provide good energy to wake you up."

My eyebrows furrowed as I focused back on Raven. "Wake me up? How long was I out?" I could feel the tension winding around my stomach like a vice. It hurt.

Raven looked like she didn't want to be answering this question. "Just a few days," she said simply.

I knew that there was more to it. If I had just simply been sleeping, they would have kept me in the Tower instead of moving me to the hospital. I wanted to ask a hundred questions, but the expression on Raven's face told me that I should wait. I pushed it out of my mind, the pain in my abdomen slowly subsiding.

"You look good," I said with a small smile. "That outfit looks better on you than it did on me."

She gave a soft laugh at my joke. That alone made me feel better. Raven didn't seem like the type of girl who laughed much.

"Well, it took a while to find my uniforms," she returned. "My closet was full of all these other clothes. It seems like you did a lot of shopping."

My cheeks flushed. "Maybe I got a little carried away. I didn't mean to mess things up for you. I swear that I tried to be very proper when it came to your things and your body. I always understood that the whole situation was a mistake."

"It's okay," she replied. With a wave of her hand, she used her magic to pull up a chair alongside the bed. "But I have all the clothes ready for you when you get out."

I shook my head. "Those clothes won't fit me. Please, give them a second chance—especially the 'kacey' jeans and the black sweater. But give whatever you don't want to the homeless shelter, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes clouded over with the mixed emotions again.

"By the way," I began, "I hear that I owe you my life. That you contacted the others after I did the spell."

"I did," she acknowledged. "When the spell was happening, I was aware of your thoughts—of what was going on. That's how I knew what had happened and to call the team."

"Thank you," I said. "I was so busy trying to keep my actions a secret that I didn't think of what would happen if the spell actually worked. I would have drowned." I smoothed the blanket with flattened fingers. "By the way, I didn't mean to leave you in Parasite's grasp."

"I know," she said. "When the spell worked, we got blown apart. I was able to get up and get out of there."

"But, did he still have control over your powers?"

"No, you managed to block that. I think his body was a little overloaded because of the two occupants in one body."

I was so relieved to hear this. I'd worried so much about these things. "That's what I was counting on!"

"Let's get you cleaned up before everyone gets here," Raven said as she stood and moved into the bathroom. I heard her rummaging around for a bit and running some water.

She returned with a small plastic tub of warm water and a little bag. She set these on my bedside table, rolling it closer. She dipped a washcloth into the water, then gave it a squeeze before she handed it to me.

I took the cloth, rubbing it all over my face. It felt so good. I could just imagine scrubbing years of cryogenic buildup off my skin. Then I ran it down my arms.

Raven took a comb out of the accessory bag and began to run it through my hair.

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"I don't mind," she replied.

"But I feel silly."

"Please. You've seen my naked body—that makes _me_ feel silly."

I turned a bright shade of red, suddenly very focused with the action of washing my arms and legs.

We didn't talk. I wasn't sure what we would have talked about, anyway. I didn't really know Raven at all, which was strange considering our circumstances.

By the time I had washed every part of me that I could and still be modest, I found myself getting a bit tired. Maybe I was trying to do too much at once. I'd been through an awful lot lately.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked, gazing down at me.

"Yeah," I nodded. She kept asking that and giving me those concerned glances. It was starting to unnerve me.

"You look nice," she said.

I gave a soft smile. "Thank you."

The door opened, and the Titans bustled into the room. Starfire was first, her fist holding the strings to a fresh bunch of Mylar balloons. The others followed close behind. All of them spouted greetings at once, making my head swim a little bit.

Starfire rushed up to me, hugging me tightly. "Friend Morgan! It is joyous that you are well!"

Cyborg came around the other side of the bed, also giving me a hug. "She's a tough girl!"

I could tell that Beast Boy wanted to get in on the hugginess, too, but there was no room with both sides of the bed taken. So he changed into a floppy-eared dog, jumped up onto the bed, and ducked under their arms to lick my face.

"I think you guys are going to put her back in intensive care," Robin said. The three quickly jumped away from me like I had shocked them; Beast Boy jumped down and changed back into his human form. All of them blushed at their enthusiasm.

Robin came up to me, giving me a hug, too. "I thought we told you not to do anything stupid," he said into my ear.

"I'm sorry," I said, returning the hug. "I didn't know what else to do."

I suddenly realized something odd. My girly, crush-like feelings were gone. Completely gone!

As Robin stepped back, my eyes fell on Raven, who was pretending to be very occupied with the new balloons.

_Those feelings hadn't been mine at all,_ I suddenly realized. _They were Raven's. She's in love with him!_

I was so taken aback by this revelation that I didn't notice that a nurse had stepped into the room until she was right beside my bed. The others became very quite as she checked the machines and made a few notations on a clipboard.

"Don't excite her too much, you guys," she said with a smile. "I'll send a doctor in a few minutes." Then she was gone.

"Wha-what happened to me?" I asked, my mind drifting back to the concept that I was in the hospital and had apparently been unconscious for several days. "I thought everything was fine after the spell…"

No one wanted to look at me for a moment. Then Cyborg spoke, "You went into cardiac arrest."

My eyebrows flew up high. "You mean a heart attack? But I'm just a kid! Kids don't get--"

"Mor, you nearly drowned," Beast Boy said solemnly.

"_Nearly_," I emphasized. "Starfire saved me!"

"It was still a bit much for your system," Raven said.

"We almost lost you," Cyborg spoke. "We got you here just in time."

I took in this information, my hand lifting to my chest. I could feel the tiniest of bumps under my fingertips, and I lifted the neckline of my shirt, peering down the front. I could see brownish-red burns on my skin.

"The defibrillator burned you," Beast Boy explained quietly.

I released my shirt, letting my mouth hang open stupidly for a moment. "But, I'm okay, right? No more heart attacks for me?"

"No more heart attacks," Robin confirmed. "You'll be okay."

Suddenly all of their communicators began to beep, signaling that an enemy was attacking the city. They exchanged glances at Robin took out his communicator and looked at it. "Dr. Light," he muttered.

"Go on," I said. "I'll be fine."

He nodded. "Titans, GO!" he shouted. They quickly fled the room.

I scooted down a bit, letting the pillows swallow me as I brought the blanket up over my shoulder. The room suddenly felt very empty and cold.

Cardiac arrest. What else was in store for me? What was I going to do when I left the hospital?

Beast Boy abruptly entered the room, wheezing for breath. "By…the way," he gasped, "We wanted…you to know…that you…can stay…at the Tower…for a while." Then he was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

The Titans pretended that it hadn't been a problem to get me out of the hospital, but I knew that it was. I'd even heard several of them arguing with my doctor and hospital staff, but I couldn't make out all of the details.

"That is a very sick girl!" someone had shouted.

"Yes, but there's nothing your hospital equipment can do to get her better at this point."

"We're her family!"

"You're a bunch of kids!"

"We're _Titans_!"

In the end, the Teen Titans were granted permission to take me back to the Tower. It was very strange to not be in Raven's room now, but they had fixed me up a room of my own before my arrival. They'd painted the walls in pink and yellow, and given me a four-poster bed. Plus, I swear that it had the largest window in the entire building, which let me look out over both the sea and the city. I often left the curtains open so that the first light of morning would stir me.

I didn't have a lot of energy, though, and sometimes the smallest activity would wipe me out. I knew that there was more to my illness than what I had been told. Some mornings my pillowcase would be brownish-red with dried blood; blood would also appear in my urine or come up when I coughed. I would run out of breath often, or lights and colors would swirl before my eyes. Every day they took a blood sample from me or ran an MRI. But no one ever said anything to me about what was going on.

It was very weird to be in my body in the Titan tower, though. I was taller now than I had been, and my knees bumped into furniture on a regular basis. And it was weird to be without Raven's powers. The worst part was when the Titans left to go fight crime and left me behind.

To keep myself from feeling like a charity case, I asked Cyborg to teach me how to run some of the systems so that I could help the Titans out while they were in the field.

I was happy to be there. They did all they could to show me that I was their friend. Raven and I spent hours talking about various dimensions and my experience with death. But things just weren't the same, though, and I wanted to know why. I knew they were hiding something from me, and I knew it had to do about my medical condition.

One morning, while Robin was in the middle of my daily blood-draw, I decided to speak up.

"When are you guys going to tell me the truth?" I asked, watching as the blood slowly filled the tube.

"What are you talking about?" he said.

"About what is wrong with me."

His eyebrows furrowed as he removed the needle and placed a piece of gauze over the puncture. I held the gauze to the spot, holding my arm in the air to slow the blood flow. He began to dispose of various items in the red trash bag nearby. "Nothing's wrong with you."

"I'm not stupid!" I scoffed. "I know that something is wrong! I see things swirling in front of my eyes. I get sharp pains. Blood appears in the weirdest places. Sometimes it feels like my insides are crumbling away. What is it?"

He pulled off his plastic gloves and threw them away, then put his green gloves back on. Then he said still and quiet for a moment. "Your body isn't handling the reanimation very well," he said softly.

I absorbed that, waiting for him to say more. When he didn't, I said, "Okay. What does that mean?" He still didn't respond. He wouldn't even look me in the eye. That's when I realized that I knew what it meant. "It means that I'm dying, doesn't it?" I asked.

There was a pause before he nodded. He still wouldn't look at me. "We can't figure out why, but your body is…is…degenerating."

Degenerating. A nice way of saying that I was wasting away. I felt surprisingly levelheaded about the entire situation. "How long do I have?"

He didn't seem able to form words. "Um…based on the blood tests that have been coming back, your degeneration is pretty fast."

"So not long," I translated. I wasn't sad. I wasn't angry. But I did want to know one thing: "Why didn't you guys tell me?"

"We didn't want you to worry about it. We wanted you to just be happy until…" his voice faded out, and he turned his face away to hide a rush of emotion. I suddenly realized that the others were probably much more upset by this than I was.

"Thanks," I said simply, knowing better than to say something else.

* * *

It wasn't much longer before I could feel the decay of my body really take over. Some days it was hard to think clearly or hold a pen. My outer appearance began to reflect how I felt on the inside as I became more and more sickly. I continued to do what I could to help and interact with the other Titans.

I knew that my time was limited when I didn't have the ability to eat. And then came the day when I lacked the strength and motor control to get myself out of bed. Soon I had to be put back on oxygen. The doctors insisted that I return to the hospital, but I refused, and the Titans fought for me to stay. Thanks to the debt society owned them, they won.

That last day, I was lying in the bed and watching the birds fly by my window—not really thinking of anything in particular—when Robin knocked on my door and entered my room.

"Hi," I said, my voice a bit wheezy due to the oxygen being forced in through my nose.

"Hi," he returned. "Are you up for some company?"

"Of course," I said.

He came over by the bed and faced the window, watching something out in the distance. He didn't look at me and he didn't speak for what felt like an eternity.

"Did you want something?" I asked finally.

He still didn't respond for a moment. "Hey, do you remember that night when we asked questions about each other? You asked what color my eyes were?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, you claimed they were blue," I teased.

"I thought you'd like to know that I wasn't lying," he said, turning around.

Shock rippled through my body. He'd taken off his mask, allowing me to view his teenage face. The light from the window bounced off his irises, illuminating the blue in his eyes.

He ran a hand through his hair. "You're staring."

"I'm sorry," I said, blushing and averting my eyes. "I just didn't-- I mean, I wasn't expecting—"

"It's okay," he said with a soft smile. He let out a nervous breath. "You know that no one on the team has seen me without my mask?"

"Then…why are you showing me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed right. I wanted you to know that I trust you—that you're my friend."

His words sank deeply into my clouded head. "Th-thank you. That means so much to me. And I promise I won't tell the others."

"Tell them what?"

"How hot you are," I returned with a smile. His face flushed red. He moved to put his mask back on, but I lifted my hand. "Please don't," I said quietly. "Just a few more minutes."

He nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"There's something I want you to do for me," I said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I know that I have no right to ask anything else of you after all you've done for me, but this is important." He nodded once, and I took that as my cue to proceed. "I want you to talk to Raven and tell her how you feel."

His eyes opened wide. "I—I can't do that."

"Why not? Afraid to take a little risk?"

"It's not just that. We work together. It would just mess—"

"You're really a moron," I interrupted. "Haven't you learned anything by being with me? You never know when your time is going to be up—_especially _you, Mr. Superhero-With-No-Actual-Superpowers. Your number could be called at any time. Or hers."

His eyes flickered with emotion momentarily.

"Tell her how you feel," I said simply. "Or one day you may suddenly realize that you'll never get the chance. Think about your parents—about everything that you would have told them if you'd known that you weren't going to be able to say it."

We were quiet for a long time, each of us churning over our own thoughts. My outburst had worn my out, and I was forced to sit back and take several long breaths.

Then he spoke, very quietly, "I don't want you to die, Morgan."

Now _I_ was taken aback. I'd never heard anyone say something like that before to me.

"Don't you see that it's for the best?" I asked. "If I die, then Slade doesn't win. Then you can know that whatever technology he developed doesn't work and he can never come back."

"Don't _you_ see that if you die, then Slade won a long time ago?" Robin snapped. "He _killed_ you."

"But if I hadn't died, then I never would have met you guys. And you guys are the best things that have ever happened to me. So I guess that everything happens for a reason."

The two of us talked for a while, until Raven joined us. Then Starfire came in some time later, and after that Beast Boy and Cyborg. We talked and laughed and played—just like a family would have done.

That's what they were. They were my family.

And I died that night, surrounded by my family.

My soul was finally at peace.

_The End._

* * *

TRIVIA

I originally came up with this idea about three years ago for an Angel fan fiction—where Cordelia accidentally recites an ancient incantation and is possessed by a ghost who is stuck between worlds. I never wrote it, but suddenly realized that it would make a decent Teen Titans story.

Morgan was originally intended to die (permanently) when she pulled her own plug in Chapter 9. I changed this as I was writing it, deciding that it was very cowardly of her to do that. Besides, I wanted to write a fight scene, and there hadn't been an opportunity for that yet.

I had written a few scenes with Starfire expressing her jealousy over the amount of time that Morgan was spending with Robin, but I never published any of them. To me, Starfire is the hardest character to write. She's extremely moody, pouty, and child-like, and I can't portray her strange dialogue very well. So Star got little page time in my story. Sorry!

One scene that I wrote that didn't get posted was a conversation with Morgan and Beast Boy concerning Terra and his feelings for her. This ended up being lost in the computer glitch of yore, and I decided it didn't fit with the story very well, anyway, so I never re-wrote it. It was pretty sappy.

I was going to write about Robin and Raven finally hooking up, but it didn't seem to flow since the story was so Morgan-centric. I guess we'll just have to use our imaginations!

The screaming thief (Harmony) was going to be another runaway that Morgan recognizes and subsequently frees. But I decided that was a detail that didn't matter and scrapped that idea.

This was going to be a big Robin-Raven-Beast Boy triangle story, but I decided against it. Beast Boy works better with Terra and I don't think he could ever have a serious relationship with Raven.

I wanted a fight sequence between Morgan and Robin, but I knew Robin wouldn't _really_ hit a girl unless she was truly evil. I bent the rules by having it be a dream sequence. It actually was one of the quickest scenes I wrote for the story—it only took me a few hours...which might be obvious. :)


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